A formidable Hurricane Otis slammed into Acapulco earlier this week, causing significant destruction and leaving thousands without basic amenities. This catastrophe has prompted the deployment of 17,000 soldiers and police in the city as residents grapple with widespread looting and devastation.
After the hurricane hit, videos surfaced showing desperate residents taking essentials like food and water from shops, while some seized expensive electronics and apparel from malls.
Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 storm – the most severe – made landfall on the Pacific coast with winds soaring up to 165mph (266 km/h). The storm had transformed from a mere tropical disturbance to this destructive force in a mere 12 hours.
Acapulco, a renowned resort city, suffered immensely with 80% of its hotels enduring damage and many streets left inundated. The official death toll stands at 39 – comprising 29 men and 10 women, as per government reports. Additionally, at least ten individuals are still unaccounted for.
With the city’s main artery now operational, essential supplies have begun trickling in, marking a glimmer of hope for the devastated residents.
However, the lack of swift aid has led to increasing frustration. In the Renacimiento district, Apolonio Maldonado conveyed his despair to Reuters, “The government hasn’t provided any aid, not even basic necessities,” while displaying severe injuries on his legs.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, while committing to Acapulco’s reconstruction, took a political angle, accusing opponents of magnifying the looting incidents to tarnish his administration ahead of the forthcoming presidential election. In a recent social media video, he remarked, “They exploit people’s suffering for political gains.”
Experts have labelled Hurricane Otis the most potent storm ever to impact Mexico’s Pacific coast. Preliminary damage assessments suggest billions of dollars in losses.