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Dozens of people arrived at the airport with suitcases and backpacks, an AFP team found.
Published on October 27, 2023 8:23 p.m
Reading time: 1 min
Buildings destroyed by Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Mexico, October 27, 2023. (RODRIGO OROPEZA / AFP)
An operation specifically to evacuate tourists. On Friday, October 27, an airlift was set up for people stranded in Acapulco (Mexico), the government announced. The famous Pacific Coast resort was devastated by Hurricane Otis. The authorities report a number of 27 dead and four missing.
“Acapulco airport has already been restored for an airlift,” said Mexican Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval, who said three planes were scheduled to depart this morning. These are commercial flights for “tourists and the local population”, but also to send “specialists”, he explained.
Dozens of people arrived at the airport with suitcases and backpacks, an AFP team found. “We are very happy and grateful for life that gives us the chance to continue,” says Clara Elena Albo, originally from the capital Mexico City, on vacation with her husband in the coastal city.
An isolated city
The city was devastated and isolated (roads, airport and internet disrupted) following the Category 5 Hurricane Otis on Wednesday. Hurricane Otis made landfall with wind speeds of over 155 mph.
In total, 80% of the city’s hotels were affected. Shops and houses were destroyed, streets flooded and trees uprooted. Much of Acapulco remained without power and telephones on Friday, in addition to food shortages that led to looting in supermarkets.
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