MEXICO CITY, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- At least five people are dead after Hurricane John lashed south Mexico's Guerrero state, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Thursday.
"There are five deaths so far," the president told reporters at his usual daily press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City.
"There was not much material damage" to the Pacific Coast state, with reports of some "700 homes damaged," he added.
The eye of the hurricane made landfall in Guerrero Monday night as a category 3 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour and gusts of 220 kilometers per hour, according to authorities.
On Wednesday, Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado reported an initial two deaths from the hurricane, which was downgraded to a tropical storm.
Authorities, however, warned that John regained strength as a category 1 hurricane, and was expected to dump substantial rain in west and south Mexico. ■
