மெக்சிகோவில் இன்கிரிட் புயல் தாக்கியதில் 24 பேர் பலியாகினர்

 Storm and hurricane batter Mexico

Tropical Storm Manuel drenched Mexico’s south-western Pacific shoulder and Hurricane Ingrid closed in on the country’s Gulf coast as heavy rain and landslides caused at least 21 deaths and led authorities to evacuate thousands.

Stormy conditions prompted some communities in affected states to cancel Independence Day celebrations. Manuel began to weaken as soon as it made landfall near the port of Manzanillo and it was later downgraded to a tropical depression, but the U.S. National Hurricane Centre warned that its heavy rain still could cause flash floods and mudslides. The storm was expected to dissipate today. Four states had reported a total of 24 people killed by the storms, but federal civil protection co-ordinator Luis Felipe Puente later said 21 deaths had been confirmed. In the southern coastal state of Guerrero, state authorities listed 18 deaths from landslides, drowning, a lorry crash and a fallen wall, while authorities reported three deaths in Puebla, two in Oaxaca and one in Hidalgo. Mr Puente said the government had 14 confirmed deaths in Guerrero, three in Hidalgo, three in Puebla and one in Oaxaca. The rains caused some rivers to overflow in Guerrero, damaging hundreds of homes and disrupting communications for several hours. Manuel had maximum sustained winds of about 35mph and was moving to the north west at 8mph. It was about 70 miles north west of Manzanillo. Manuel was expected to dump 10 to 15ins of rain over parts of Guerrero and Michoacan state, with maximums of 25ins possible in some isolated areas. Rains of 5-10ins were possible in the states of Colima, Jalisco and Nayarit. Authorities said the rains would present a dangerous threat in mountains, where flash floods and mudslides were possible. Ingrid was also expected to bring very heavy rains. It had maximum sustained winds of 75mph and was centred about 110 miles north east of the port city of Tampico as it moved west-north west at 6mph. A hurricane warning was in effect from Cabo Rojo to La Pesca. The hurricane centre said Ingrid, the second hurricane of the Atlantic storm season, could reach the mainland later, most likely along Tamaulipas state’s lightly populated coast north of Tampico. In Tamaulipas, the state government said in a statement that Independence Day festivities were cancelled in Tampico, Madero and Altamira. The September 15 and 16 celebrations commemorate Mexico’s battle of independence from Spain. Meanwhile, officials in the Gulf state of Veracruz began evacuating coastal residents Friday night, and civil protection authorities said more than 6,600 people had been moved to shelters or the homes of family and friends.