MEXICO CITY, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least 37 people have been killed as torrential rains and landslides battered Mexico in recent days, the National Coordination of Civil Protection said Saturday.
According to the agency, 22 deaths occurred in Hidalgo state in central Mexico, nine in the state of Puebla, five in Veracruz and one in Queretaro.
Authorities are providing assistance to the families of the victims and to thousands of people affected by the rainfall.
Heavy rains, intensified by tropical storm Raymond off the Pacific coast, have triggered flooding, landslides and widespread damage across several states in Mexico.
Local and national authorities, supported by the army and the navy, are working to reopen access, assess the damage, and deliver emergency aid. Civil protection officials said that recovery efforts could take weeks. ■