Severe flooding kills 72 in Mexico, thousands displaced across five states photo

Mexican authorities have raised the death toll from last week’s catastrophic floods to 72, with 48 people still missing, as rescue and recovery operations continue across the country’s eastern and central regions.

The state of Veracruz, situated along the Gulf of Mexico, remains the hardest hit. Officials there have confirmed 32 deaths, with several towns and villages still in ruins, as per foreign media reports.

Neighbouring Hidalgo has reported 21 fatalities, making it the second most affected state, followed by Puebla with 18 deaths and Querétaro with one.

Veracruz, which is highly vulnerable to natural disasters due to its coastal geography, continues to face severe disruption. Governor Rocío Nahle said that three municipalities and 37 communities remain cut off from access. In response, authorities have set up 50 temporary shelters in the northern part of the state, now housing 4,768 displaced residents. Relief efforts have also seen the distribution of 58,288 aid packages to flood-stricken areas.

In Hidalgo, the damage has been particularly extensive, with 77 communities still isolated. At the beginning of the week, 288 communities were cut off from communication, but connections have since been restored to 161 of them, officials said.

Emergency and reconstruction work is underway across five affected states, where more than 375 pieces of heavy machinery and about 4,500 workers have been deployed. The efforts are being bolstered by military and navy units, bringing the total number of personnel involved to nearly 9,000, supported by almost 1,000 machines.

President Claudia Sheinbaum is scheduled to visit the flood-affected regions over the weekend, except for San Luis Potosí and Querétaro, which she said are no longer in a state of emergency.

By Tamilla Hasanova