Those who survived the devastating Category 5 storm that claimed the lives of at least 27 people in Mexico’s Acapulco, a popular resort city, spent Thursday desperately searching for acquaintances and essential supplies.

They held onto hope that assistance would arrive swiftly in the aftermath of Hurricane Otis. The Pacific storm intensified rapidly before making a destructive landfall on the coast early Wednesday.

The Mexican government mobilized approximately 10,000 troops to address the aftermath, but the arrival of equipment to clear the streets of tons of mud and fallen trees was sluggish, the Associated Press reported.

In impoverished neighborhoods, there was a growing sense of resentment as residents feared that government efforts would prioritize repairing infrastructure for the city’s economic hub of tourism over aiding those in dire need.

Acapulco’s Police Chief, Enrique Vázquez Ramírez, acknowledged on Thursday that they had limited capacity to prevent people from looting local stores or to expedite the flow of traffic, which has been severely hampered by mud and fallen trees, resulting in a significant portion of the city coming to a standstill.

Written by staff