Tropical storm claims 38 lives in eastern Mexico

Tropical Storm Earl which has swept Mexico’s eastern regions has killed some 38 people following intense landslides and flooding.

According to local media reports the worst affected state is Puebla, specifically a remote town in Huauchinango, where around 28 people are confirmed dead.

Most of the victims lost their lives after their houses were engulfed by tonnes of mud and rocks, and officials say that a whole hill collapsed near Huauchinango, sweeping down on a nearby village.

The state of Veracruz on the other hand has seen some 10 fatalities, but fears are mounting that numbers will continue to rise as the situation becomes clearer.

The BBC reports that the storm also made landfall in Belize this week as a Category One hurricane, after causing destruction in the Caribbean. It was later downgraded to a tropical depression but it still left a path of destruction in Mexico.

Earlier this week, at least nine people died due to extreme weather in Haiti and the Dominican Republic as the storm passed over the Caribbean.