Eight people have died in the municipality of Ensenada, Baja California, after heavy rains and flooding caused by Cyclone “Rachel“. Four of the victims are minors, and rescue teams are still searching for missing people.
The commander of the Second Military Zone, General Daniel Gallegos, announced that one child had been found alive, while two people were still missing.
“At this time, we have found one child alive and, unfortunately, eight deceased. "We are continuing to search for two more people," Gallegos said.The number of people wanted varies from one report to another. "El Pais," citing state figures, reported four people still missing. Military authorities said two. In both cases, the search efforts were mainly focused on Ensenada.
The waters swept away houses and cars
The most serious damage was in the Manedero area, where the El Pipila river overflowed its banks. The strong current swept away residential buildings, cars, agricultural machinery and animals. The bridge connecting the area to the Oaxaca district was also destroyed.
According to local authorities in Ensenada and the neighboring municipality of San Quintin, a total of 571 homes were affected. Of these, 346 are in Ensenada and 225 are in San Quintin. Some homes have suffered heavy damage, and in some places the water and mud have destroyed family property.
The cyclone hit Baja California on the night of October 10-11, then weakened and dissipated. Heavy rains caused rivers and streams to rise rapidly, leaving several remote communities without road access.
Rescue operations continue
Military and rescue workers evacuated 32 people and three dogs from the Genesis ranch, about 30 kilometers south of Ensenada. Among them are 22 foreigners and 10 Mexican citizens. Authorities have opened six temporary shelters, and more than 14,000 army, navy, National Guard and civil defense personnel are working in the affected areas.
Crews are clearing roads, draining neighborhoods and checking riverbeds for people and vehicles. The search will continue until all reports of missing residents are cleared.
Sources: elpais.com, jornada.com.mx, puntonorte.info