MEXICO CITY - Mexico's government on Thursday declared 47 municipalities in the southern state of Guerrero natural disaster zones, making them eligible for federal resources to fund recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Otis.
The Natural Disaster Declaration, requested by the government of Guerrero, was issued by the Security and Citizen Protection Ministry to address the damage from "severe rain, strong winds, and rainfall and river flooding on Oct 24 and 25", Xinhua reported.
Otis hit the Pacific Coast state on Oct 25 as a category 5 hurricane, causing devastating destruction in the popular tourism destination of Acapulco, nearby Coyuca de Benitez and other parts.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Wednesday unveiled a 20-step plan to get Acapulco and other hard-hit areas back on their feet.
According to Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado, as of Wednesday the storm's official death toll reached 46 and 58 people were still missing.
State authorities said Thursday crews were carrying out clean-up work to clear debris and attending to the victims. - BERNAMA-XINHUA