Home>News Center>World
         
 

Flash flood in northern Mexico kills 31
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-04-06 09:04

Torrential rains swelled a tributary of the Rio Grande by 25 feet early Monday, causing a flash flood that inundated a Mexican border city, killing at least 31 people and forcing hundreds more into shelters.

Dozens more people were missing; the death toll was expected to rise. Mexico declared a state of emergency in the area.

Floodwaters from the Escondido River began receding after the rain stopped by midday, but heavy, dark clouds loomed over Piedras Negras, a city of 200,000 people about 150 miles southwest of San Antonio. Supplies of drinking water, electricity and gas were cut.

Hundreds of people were left homeless, radio stations reported, and announcers read the names of people staying at shelters to help families find missing relatives.

The heavy rains began Sunday and the downpours intensified around midnight, causing the river to overflow and flooding dozens of houses in a working-class area of tin-roof shacks within 15 minutes, city officials said.

"Houses were completely swept away. Cars flipped over, some on top of each other," said Marcela Aguirre, spokeswoman for the city in Coahuila state. "There is no power, no gas, no water."

At least 31 people were killed, said Coahuila state civil protection authority official Fernando Horta. More than half were elderly and two were children, Piedras Negras Red Cross president Alfonso Bres said.

Sixty people were reported missing, Bres said.

"Several senior citizens basically did not have the strength to resist," he said.

State authorities estimated that floodwaters destroyed or severely damaged at least 500 homes and 300 cars.

Mexico's Interior Department declared a state of emergency in the area, a declaration that releases federal funds to help the city rebuild.

Local factories offered shelter to their workers, radio stations reported. The population of Piedras Negras has swelled in recent years as residents from Mexico's interior arrived looking for factory work.

About 5 inches of rain fell on Piedras Negras and the basin feeding the Escondido River on Sunday night alone.

Emergency workers patrolled the city, moving residents from low-lying neighborhoods to shelters. Some evacuees were treated for hypothermia and the Red Cross was seeking donations of dry clothing and food.

"There are warnings that another wave of water could arrive," Bres said. "We're calling on the people to not return to their houses."

The U.S. Border Patrol sent two helicopters to help locate survivors stranded on rooftops and clinging to tree branches. Mexican government helicopters arrived later from the Coahuila state capital of Saltillo.

A power blackout and overcast skies made it difficult to find people before dawn without help from the helicopters.

"There wasn't even moonlight," Bres said.

Piedras Negras Mayor Claudio Bres and Coahuila Gov. Enrique Martinez planned to tour the area later Monday.

Police assembled at the entrance to the city, trying to control the traffic that backed up for miles.

 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Oil finds of 280m tons to ease national thirst

 

   
 

Lien Chan files suit for new poll

 

   
 

Constitution helps man fight for home

 

   
 

Troublemakers 'try to plunge HK into turmoil'

 

   
 

Japan and EU seek roles in chip talk

 

   
 

Judge jailed for 'lenient sentence' of rapist

 

   
  US, Iraqi forces surround Fallujah
   
  Russian nuclear expert convicted of spying
   
  Rajapakse named new Sri Lankan PM
   
  Spain makes new arrest in Madrid bombings
   
  Flash flood in northern Mexico kills 31
   
  Humor is no laughing matter overseas
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  News Talk  
  April Fool's!  
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 99精品在线视频| 亚洲av成人综合网| 精品午夜久久网成年网| 国产午夜亚洲精品不卡| jizzjizz中国护士第一次| 欧美美女毛茸茸| 加勒比黑人在线| 18岁女人毛片| 大尺度视频网站久久久久久久久| 中文字幕一区二区三区日韩精品| 日韩国产有码在线观看视频| 亚洲大片免费看| 波多野结衣作品大全| 免费无码AV一区二区三区| 羞羞视频在线观看入口| 国产伦精品一区二区三区免费迷| 日本免费www| 国产精品欧美亚洲韩国日本久久| 久久99九九国产免费看小说| 樱桃直播免费看| 亚洲国产精品自产在线播放 | 天天操天天摸天天干| 一级黄色a毛片| 成年美女黄网站色大片免费看| 久久久久亚洲精品中文字幕| 欧美色欧美亚洲高清在线视频| 免费a级片在线观看| 绿茶可约可空降直播软件| 国产a级一级久久毛片| 都市激情综合网| 国产国产精品人在线观看| 国产精品午夜剧场| 国产成年无码久久久免费| 波多野结衣导航| 国产精品久久久久久搜索| 两个人看的视频高清在线www | 久久精品一区二区三区中文字幕| 明星ai换脸资源在线播放| 二区久久国产乱子伦免费精品| 狠狠干.com| 偷偷做久久久久网站|