With machetes and barricades, residents of Acapulco avoid looting after Hurricane Otis

Armed with machetes and batons, residents of some neighborhoods in Acapulco They protect their homes from robberies and looting, given the lack of electricity and the shortages that affect that Mexican port after the devastating passage of the Hurricane Otis.

Residents have also built barricades with zinc tiles and other debris left behind by the cyclone – whose death toll is 46 and 58 missing – to prevent strangers from entering their blocks.

LOOK HERE: The distressing situation of Peruvians who were isolated in Acapulco due to the hurricane

“Between nine and ten at night people are already setting up barricades to block the passage. They pull what’s on the street and with that“The obstacles have been eliminated, he told AFP this Tuesday Salvador Chavezresident of one of the peripheral neighborhoods of this port on the Pacific.

Residents of the Progreso neighborhood monitor a street as a security measure following looting and insecurity after Hurricane Otis passed through Acapulco, state of Guerrero, Mexico, on October 30, 2023. (Photo by SILVANA FLORES / AFP) (SILVANA FLOWERS/)

“They found people who entered houses alone” he added.

He Hurricane OtisThe pandemic, which reached category 5 in the early hours of last Wednesday, the maximum on the Saffir-Simpson scale, left a trail of destruction in that city of 780,000 inhabitants, which lives mainly from tourism. Around 274,000 homes and 600 hotels were affected.

After the fury of wind and rain, there was looting in supermarkets and grocery stores, mainly of food and hygiene products.

Deterrent shots

Some residents warned of the risk of the unrest spreading to residential areas and small businesses if humanitarian aid does not flow quickly, although authorities have been distributing water and other basic supplies since last Friday.

“Many small stores are selling out the door, they don’t want to lift the curtains because they want to loot them.,” said Chavez.

The president’s government Andrés Manuel López Obrador sent thousands of soldiers and sailors to ensure security at the port.

Chavez said his neighbors have warned him they will shoot into the air at night to scare away thieves. Some condominiums located in Call Diamond Zone of the port – where there are five-star hotels and luxury buildings -, in turn, they posted armed guards to prevent robberies and looting.

MORE INFORMATION: How Otis went from tropical storm to powerful Category 5 hurricane just hours before hitting Acapulco

According to a report updated by the government this Tuesday, the hurricane leaves 46 people dead – including an American, a Canadian and a Briton – and 58 missing.

In turn, Itamaraty reported that as of this Tuesday, 305 foreigners had been located safe and sound.

Meanwhile, electricity and telecommunications have been restored in several areas, while the Army distributes water and food. Medical brigades, supported by Cuban doctors, also provide care to those affected.

Source: Elcomercio