Man drowns attempting to cross flooded street to share groceries

Floods caused rivers in Yucatan last week. Photo courtesy of the Maya Chenes Collective

Tropical Storm Cristóbal took the life of a 54-year-old man who had attempted to swim across a flooded street in the town of Santa María, Yaxcabá, said Mayor Samson Israel Palma Santos.

The death was reported Sunday in local media. Yaxcabá, between Oxkutzcan and Valladolid, is in one of the hardest-hit regions of Yucatan.

The victim was trapped and drowned under up to 2 meters / 6.5 feet of water when his foot became stuck in a branch on Friday.

The man was apparently attempting to pass groceries to the other side of the street.

“Because you couldn’t go by car, you had to swim or take a boat. Many think that is what the man wanted to do, but there is no certainty about the situation,” said Palma Santos.

Some residents remained in the shelters Sunday while others were preparing to return home. The mayor reported that the greatest damage occurred on farms where corn, chile peppers and other crops were destroyed. Beekeepers lost 50 percent of their hives, he said.

“We are bringing groceries to the most affected families and what the people have donated, and everything that comes will go to those who need it the most,” he added.

DIF Yucatan, the state social services agency, delivered food packages, fruits, vegetables and other provisions to residents.

In Quintana Roo

The body of a 10-year-old Venezuelan boy was found Sunday, reported Carmen Mayor Óscar Román Rosas González. A search and rescue operation had been carried out by the Municipal Civil Protection Directorate, in coordination with the Ministry of Navy and the National Guard. The child had been missing since Wednesday.

The boy was traveling with family in a car, coming from Mexico City to Cancun, when the Chumpán river overflowed on the Escárcega – Villahermosa highway.

The driver had attempted to drive through the flood, but the car broke down in the middle of the 3-kilometer flood, and was swept away by strong currents.

The family escaped the car and clung to a tree, but the boy lost his grip and was swept away, according to witnesses.

Source: La Jornada

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