Rescuers Press On as Mexican Flood Toll Rises

The death toll from a week of devastating floods in Mexico topped 320 Saturday as rescue workers pressed on with the grim task of digging out people buried when a mudslide engulfed an entire village.

The extent of what President Ernesto Zedillo called the “tragedy of the decade” was becoming starkly clear as the rains eased and rescue workers were able to reach villages that had been cut off for days.

At least 200,000 people lost their homes to flood waters that swept over nine of Mexico’s 31 states. Flash floods turned hillsides into deadly rivers of mud that reached rooftop level and buried alive villagers who sought refuge in homes and schools.

In all, at least 321 people have been confirmed dead in the flooding. Among the states hit by flooding were Puebla, neighboring Veracruz, central Hidalgo, gulf state Tabasco and southeastern Chiapas.

The unofficial toll is much higher. The newspaper La Jornada published a tally Saturday of 600 dead. And Formato 21 radio station said 206 had died in Zacatlan, another town in Puebla.

In central Puebla state at midday Saturday, soldiers wearing surgical masks had been working without a break since arriving Friday.

By Saturday morning, 88 bodies had been recovered from a mudslide Tuesday that buried the hillside village of La Aurora, near Teziutlan, 110 miles east of Mexico City.

The mayor’s office in Teziutlan estimated that 140 people died in the mudslide, and Amadeo Andrade, the local head of public security, said rescue work was far from over.

“The search goes on. There are many [bodies] out there. That’s not just saying so--they’re there,” Amadeo said.

David Padilla lost 16 relatives, including his wife, children and grandchildren. He also lost his in-laws, who were working at their home in La Aurora.

“I went out to buy tortillas when it all came apart. I tried to run, but what could I do? Nothing,” Padilla told local radio. “All I want now is to recover the bodies of my children. What else is there?”

Carmen Hernandez, head nurse at the local state hospital, said rescue workers digging among the decomposing bodies and debris of homes and buildings were receiving anti-tetanus shots.

Health officials in Veracruz told local radio stations that stagnant pools were a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes that could spread dengue, an acute infectious disease found in tropical regions.

The federal government has mobilized about 10,000 soldiers, rescue workers and volunteers in the four states hardest hit.

Jeffrey Wilkerson, an ecological researcher with 36 years’ experience in Puebla, said he measured 16 inches of rain before his research center in the town of Gutierrez Zamora was swept away when the Tecolutla River burst its banks.

“It was completely out of the ordinary, the worst flooding in the gulf this century, in fact for four centuries,” Wilkerson said, adding that flooding forced him to spend two nights and a day in a tree.

More trouble may be brewing: Although rains have eased, the National Weather Service predicted that tropical storm Irwin would bring more intense rains to the Pacific coast.