Death toll from Hurricane John hits eight in Mexico

Buildings at risk of collapse after a retaining wall failed due to heavy rains following Hurricane John are pictured in Acapulco, Guerrero State, Mexico, on September 28, 2024. Hurricane John, which made landfall twice in the Mexican Pacific, has left eight dead, all in the Mexican state of Guerrero (south), the most affected by the phenomenon, the Mexican government reported Saturday. (Photo by Francisco ROBLES / AFP)

Hurricane John, which made landfall twice on Mexico’s Pacific coast, has now left eight people dead, all of them in southern Guerrero state, home to the beachside city of Acapulco, authorities said Saturday.

John first slammed into the shore earlier this week as a Category 3 hurricane, churning along the coast for several days and intensifying before striking land again, this time as a tropical storm.

“We regret the loss of eight lives due to landslides caused by heavy rains,” President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on social network X, formerly Twitter.

Local media gave a higher number, but the government did not officially confirm those figures.

Guerrero state was the worst affected, especially Acapulco, which was ravaged in October 2023 by Hurricane Otis, which claimed dozens of lives.

While the rains have now stopped, the streets of Acapulco were still flooded on Saturday, as residents waited for emergency aid or wandered around with the few belongings they were able to salvage from their homes.