Mexico flood death toll rises to 103

Floods and landslides in central and eastern Mexico that took place about ten days ago killed 76 people and left 27 others missing, according to a new government tally released on Monday.

The disaster was caused by exceptionally heavy rainfall over several days, which damaged roads and isolated 119 towns, according to a report presented during Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's daily press conference.

The president said, "The emergency response... is not yet complete. We are continuing to work."

Sheinbaum announced the distribution of the first tranche of financial aid, amounting to 10 billion pesos (€466 million), to approximately 100,000 families affected by the disaster.

Hidalgo state, adjacent to the Mexican capital, has the largest number of isolated towns, 65, due to its location in mountainous areas where roads have been damaged by landslides.

The eastern state of Veracruz, on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, is the state most affected by the flood, as rivers flow through many of its towns, flooding within hours if their levels rise.

More than 12,700 Army and Navy personnel have been deployed to the affected states, with several airlifts and three sealifts delivering aid to isolated residents.

The Weather Service confirmed that the late-season rainfall was the result of a tropical depression over the Gulf of Mexico and its encounter with a cold front from the north.

J.J