Death toll from Hurricane Otis rises to 45

The number of deaths caused by Hurricane Otis, which entered the resort of Acapulco last Wednesday as a Category 5 hurricane. one of the country’s top tourist destinations – has risen to 45, with 47 people still missing, the Mexican government reported Monday.

“So far, according to the preliminary report, we have the accidental death of 45 people and 47 people who have not been located, this is the preliminary report that we have,” Guerrero State Governor Evelyn Salgado said by phone to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

The death toll sparked controversy during a morning conference call as the Mexican president was questioned about the reality of the figure, because on Sunday evening the Government sent information about 48 fatalities.

However, State Prosecutor Sandra Luz Valdovinos confirmed that the number of identified dead is 45.

“It has been confirmed at Semef (Forensic Medical Service) that we have 45 bodies of which 16 have been delivered to their families and we have 47 unlocated people who have submitted their genetic test,” he said.

In addition, he said that everything was properly documented “legally and that to this day the information is true, provable”, he pointed out.

Also, Valdovinos specified that for now there are three foreigners among the deceased, an American whose body has already been delivered to his relatives, a Briton and a Canadian whose families have not yet taken over, and he pointed out that all three were residents of Acapulco.

However, he said that arrangements are already being made with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) to transfer the bodies to their places of origin.

The governor also explained that they have intensified the search program for people which the National Search Commission was unable to find.

“We are increasing the number of brigades operating in Acapulco and Coyuca de Benítez to 30,” he said.

Thanks to that, he said, 152 people were located, along with 2 Swedish citizens who disappeared due to the passage of Otis.

For his part, the Mexican president expressed his condolences to the family members “and to all the people who were affected.”

He confirmed that his administration is helping and reiterated that they are working to “get Acapulco and its people back on their feet as soon as possible.”

Casualty reporting remains slow as five days into the scourge of Otis, authorities have not been able to reach all areas affected by the hurricane, after almost the entire southern coast of Guerrero was cut off almost 24 hours after the weather phenomenon hit.

Cyclone Otis strengthened in less than 12 hours from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane and became one of the most powerful cyclones on record in the Pacific Ocean.