International
Death toll in Mexico from Cyclone John rises to 29
Deaths caused by Cyclone John in the state of Guerrero, southern Mexico, amounted this Sunday to 23, after the authorities confirmed four new deaths, which gives a total figure of 29 throughout the country since the impact of the cyclone last Monday.
Local authorities confirmed four more deaths in the entity, marked by the ravages of the hurricane, such as damage and collapsed buildings. The 23 deaths in Guerrero are added to the five deaths reported in neighboring Oaxaca, and one more in Michoacán, giving a total of at least 29 deaths throughout the country.
In Chilpancingo, capital of the state, municipal authorities confirmed on Saturday afternoon, the location of a deceased person, in the Alpuyeca ravine, of the Emiliano Zapata neighborhood, whose body was rescued by Civil Protection personnel.
The other death corresponds to the commissioner of El Ciruelar, Crispín Barrientos, swept away by the current of the river, when he tried to cross it to ask for help because the town was affected by the rains and flood of the river.
Town isolated by John in Mexico
The inhabitants pointed out that the town is completely isolated because the bridges to enter have collapsed and that they did not have food to survive.
While a worker of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), identified as David, died electrocuted in the town of Nuevo Tecomulapa, in the municipality of San Marcos, while carrying out electrical power reconnection work.
Finally, an 18-year-old was found buried by mud and stones inside his house in the Altos de Miramar neighborhood, in the upper part of Puerto Marqués, in Acapulco, where at least 13 restaurants collapsed.
The body was rescued by members of the Michoacán fire department, who reported that they went to the port to help with the search and rescue work, after four hours of maneuvering and removing debris.
Collapsed restaurants
María Antonieta Ramos, a resident of the town in the Diamante area of Puerto Marqués, recalled that the restaurants of the third block already had some damage, but they did not resist due to two large sinkholes that formed, together with the strong waves that were recorded.
“It’s very sad. Right now many people are without food, without food, because they took everything, and let’s see, we are waiting to see if they bring us help or something because we are left without clothes, the only one is the one I have on,” Ramos shared.
In addition to the homes damaged by John, some tourists were stranded in the entity, so the Secretary of Tourism of Guerrero, Simón Quiñones, assured that some humanitarian exits have been enabled to leave the port.
In the case of the hotel infrastructure, Quiñones said that there is no record of damage, compared to the devastating hurricane Otis, which affected almost 20,000 rooms in October 2023.
Sheinbaum will visit Guerrero on his first day of government
President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, who will take over on October 1, reported this morning that on her first day of government on Wednesday 2 in the afternoon she will visit the state to assess the damage caused by the phenomenon.
While the outgoing president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, regretted on Saturday on his networks the death of eight people due to the collapses caused by John in Acapulco.
International
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
International
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Ecuadorian authorities are investigating two explosions that occurred early Wednesday, one on a road in the southern part of the country and another under a bridge in Guayas province. These incidents follow the car bomb explosion in the coastal city of Guayaquil, also in Guayas, which occurred the day before and left one person dead and 30 injured.
Press reports indicate that one person was injured and several vehicles were damaged in the explosion on the Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje road in the south.
“Besides yesterday’s explosion in Guayaquil, we have received reports of explosives placed on bridges along the Guayaquil-Machala and Machala-Cuenca routes to disrupt traffic,” said Roberto Luque, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT).
On his X social media account, Luque reported that authorities have been deployed to the sites to assess the damage and determine the current condition of the structures.
“What they haven’t achieved with their call for a strike, some are trying to achieve through terrorism,” he stated, referring to the 24 days of protests organized by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) against rising diesel prices and other demands.
The protests, called at a national level, have Imbabura province as their epicenter. Roadblocks have also been reported in the northern part of Pichincha province, whose capital is Quito, while activities in the rest of the country continue normally.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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