Central Mexican state reels from devastation days after severe flooding

Two tropical storms unleashed torrential rains and triggered landslides earlier this month in Mexico, wiping out homes and roads and causing heavy economic losses to local farmers.

The central state of Hidalgo was among the hardest-hit regions by flooding, where devastation has been widespread.

In one local home, water lines reaching half a meter high still line the walls, showing just how deep the water rose.

"It rained for about five hours straight. The water rushed into my home. The mattress was soaked, the refrigerator wrecked, and we had to throw away many clothes," said Maria, a local resident.

Multiple roads leading to the state are strewn with rocks, fallen tree branches, and piles of mud. Floods and landslides destroyed sections of highways and rural roads, cutting around 300 towns off from the outside world at one point.

Local rivers are also swollen with fast-flowing floodwater, as local meteorological authorities warned of more rainfall and flood damage.

"We're still very worried, because water continues to flow down. We cannot say anything for sure now, because we don't know whether there would be more flooding, or whether our homes would get flooded again," said another resident.

The floods have also damaged upwards of 20,000 hectares of farmland.

"We planted corn, pumpkins and walnuts over there, but now everything is gone. This year's harvest is completely lost," said Lucia, a farmer.

"The water is still in the fields. The farmers' loss is huge," said another farmer.

Rescue operations are still ongoing, with Mexican Navy units deployed to disaster zones. The government says 93 percent of power has been restored, and emergency teams are making initial progress in repairing roads, bridges, and communications.

The death toll related to the storms have so far risen to 70, with 72 others still missing since Oct 9, Mexico's Civil Protection agency said on Thursday.

Central Mexican state reels from devastation days after severe flooding

Central Mexican state reels from devastation days after severe flooding

Central Mexican state reels from devastation days after severe flooding

A wildfire that engulfed part of a forest in Shantou City of south China's Guangdong Province on Sunday has been extinguished after 17 hours of concerted efforts by multiple departments including emergency response, firefighting and public security units.

Villagers living at the foot of Xianglu Mountain were the first to notice the fire erupting on its slopes.

"It looked far away and I thought it was just someone burning garbage," recalled one villager.

Upon discovering the fire, local authorities immediately organized personnel to combat the flames, with mobilization of over 200 rescuers from surrounding areas to assist in the firefighting efforts.

"We were divided into two to three groups, with one conducting regular firefighting and another using water pumps to extinguish the fire," said one rescuer.

Given the rapid spread of the fire, local officials also called in aerial support with helicopters to aid in extinguishing the blaze. Furthermore, many personnel organized by local grassroots departments were actively involved in the firefighting efforts.

By 06:00 on Monday, the wildfire was finally extinguished without causing any casualties. The dry climate in winter increases the risk of forest fire in the region. However, the cause of the forest fire is still under investigation.

Wildfire extinguished in south China's Guangdong after 17 hours of efforts