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| Race to save Mexico flood victims | Race to save Mexico flood victims |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A massive rescue operation is under way in the southern Mexican state of Tabasco after rains caused the worst flooding there in more than 50 years. | A massive rescue operation is under way in the southern Mexican state of Tabasco after rains caused the worst flooding there in more than 50 years. |
| More than one million people are believed to be affected by the floods, and some 300,000 are thought to be trapped in their homes. | |
| Most of the state is under water and its governor has urged anyone who owns a boat to help the rescue operation. | Most of the state is under water and its governor has urged anyone who owns a boat to help the rescue operation. |
| Rescuers are using helicopters to try to reach people stranded on rooftops. | Rescuers are using helicopters to try to reach people stranded on rooftops. |
| The heavy rains began at the weekend, forcing rivers to burst their banks. | The heavy rains began at the weekend, forcing rivers to burst their banks. |
| In pictures: Tabasco floods | In pictures: Tabasco floods |
| "Of the 2.1 million Tabasquenos, more than half are suffering from this serious problem that has not been experienced in the history of Tabasco," Governor Andres Granier told reporters. | |
| "We have lost 100% of our crops and 70% of the state is under water," he added. | |
| "We are just like New Orleans. All the water that comes in has to be pumped out." | |
| The BBC's Andy Gallacher in the region says it is the humanitarian crisis that now concerns the Mexican authorities. | The BBC's Andy Gallacher in the region says it is the humanitarian crisis that now concerns the Mexican authorities. |
| High alert | High alert |
| Tabasco's capital, Villahermosa, and many other towns in the state have been turned into brown lakes with only treetops and roofs visible. | Tabasco's capital, Villahermosa, and many other towns in the state have been turned into brown lakes with only treetops and roofs visible. |
| Soldiers and rescuers desperately stacked sandbags along Villahermosa's streets. | Soldiers and rescuers desperately stacked sandbags along Villahermosa's streets. |
| Sandbags were also placed around several giant heads carved by the Olmecs, an ancient pre-Columbian people, at Tabasco's La Venta archaeological site. | Sandbags were also placed around several giant heads carved by the Olmecs, an ancient pre-Columbian people, at Tabasco's La Venta archaeological site. |
| Mexican President Felipe Calderon has flown to the area and promised more soldiers and aid. | Mexican President Felipe Calderon has flown to the area and promised more soldiers and aid. |
| The state has been placed on high alert. | The state has been placed on high alert. |
| So far, one person is known to have died in the floods. | So far, one person is known to have died in the floods. |
| An organiser for the Red Cross in Mexico City, Gustave Medinas, said many private citizens were bringing donations ranging from milk to articles of personal hygiene. | |
| "The aid has been sent by helicopters, by Red Cross vans, and then by boat," he told the BBC's World Today programme. | |
| "With the help that we are sending, and the cooperation of all the people who are bringing aid, and with the army, we think that we can manage." | |
| Oil industry woes | |
| The floods were triggered by storms that have crippled Mexico's oil industry. | |
| Twenty-one people died last week when storms forced an oil platform into another rig in the Gulf of Mexico, forcing dozens of workers to leap into the water. | |
| The storms have forced the closure of three of Mexico's main oil ports, preventing almost all exports and halting a fifth of the country's oil production. | The storms have forced the closure of three of Mexico's main oil ports, preventing almost all exports and halting a fifth of the country's oil production. |
| Flooding has also affected the southern state of Chiapas, where several thousand people have been moved to safety, Mexico's El Universal newspaper reports. | Flooding has also affected the southern state of Chiapas, where several thousand people have been moved to safety, Mexico's El Universal newspaper reports. |
| Are you in the area? Have you been affected by the floods? What are conditions like at the moment? Send us your comments using the form below: | Are you in the area? Have you been affected by the floods? What are conditions like at the moment? Send us your comments using the form below: |
| The worst is still to happen since one of the main dams is nearly to burst and contingencies will be overtaken by the force of water. This is the worst scenario of course, we have run out of shelters for the seven hundred thousand people that are homeless now. We are in need of food, cloth, medicine, purified water and yes boats to rescue those that are still on roofs waiting to be rescued. Today we are celebrating the day of the dead and hopefully we won't have as many casualties since the government is making the necessary efforts to put everybody in safe places.Judith Castaneda Mayo, Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico | The worst is still to happen since one of the main dams is nearly to burst and contingencies will be overtaken by the force of water. This is the worst scenario of course, we have run out of shelters for the seven hundred thousand people that are homeless now. We are in need of food, cloth, medicine, purified water and yes boats to rescue those that are still on roofs waiting to be rescued. Today we are celebrating the day of the dead and hopefully we won't have as many casualties since the government is making the necessary efforts to put everybody in safe places.Judith Castaneda Mayo, Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico |
| I arrived in Villahermosa from Campeche yesterday around 6pm, and it was raining lightly. I have barely no Spanish so didn't work out what was going on at first. After I left the bus station and headed into town I did notice that it was pretty quiet and everything seemed to be closed. The corner shop selling buckets and life jackets along with the usual stuff seemed odd. There were also a fair number of people filling sandbags, and every TV I passed seemed to be showing a press conference with Pres. Calderon. Nevertheless, I made it to my hotel without incident. However, it did begin to dawn on me that things weren't quite right. I remembered seeing the river looked awfully full when we passed over it on the way into town, and what might have been a park that was full of water. The queues at the supermarket (one of the few shops open ¿ the only other one I noticed was selling menswear) were another sign. And there were more sandbags, and workmen frantically bricking up the bottom 3 feet of doors. So I returned to the bus station, bought my ticket out for the next morning, patronised a hotdog stand that was literally the only food seller open, and returned to the hotel. Around 10 the power went out, leaving me to find my way to the bathroom with a lighter the desk clerk gave me. It never came back on, although the streetlights stayed lit. This morning I packed up by natural light and headed out to find that the river had come to just across the street from the hotel. The way to the bus station was clear and the bus left only 20 minutes late. It took a while to get out of town what with the huge traffic jams and flooded streets, and I had a good view of the submerged houses, the river way over its banks, people stuck on roofs, the boats navigating the streets, tops of cars and one man a raft of empty water cooler bottles carefully transporting a cage full of budgies. I got off lightly ¿ it looked like hell, although without any sense of panic. John Fairweather, London, UK | I arrived in Villahermosa from Campeche yesterday around 6pm, and it was raining lightly. I have barely no Spanish so didn't work out what was going on at first. After I left the bus station and headed into town I did notice that it was pretty quiet and everything seemed to be closed. The corner shop selling buckets and life jackets along with the usual stuff seemed odd. There were also a fair number of people filling sandbags, and every TV I passed seemed to be showing a press conference with Pres. Calderon. Nevertheless, I made it to my hotel without incident. However, it did begin to dawn on me that things weren't quite right. I remembered seeing the river looked awfully full when we passed over it on the way into town, and what might have been a park that was full of water. The queues at the supermarket (one of the few shops open ¿ the only other one I noticed was selling menswear) were another sign. And there were more sandbags, and workmen frantically bricking up the bottom 3 feet of doors. So I returned to the bus station, bought my ticket out for the next morning, patronised a hotdog stand that was literally the only food seller open, and returned to the hotel. Around 10 the power went out, leaving me to find my way to the bathroom with a lighter the desk clerk gave me. It never came back on, although the streetlights stayed lit. This morning I packed up by natural light and headed out to find that the river had come to just across the street from the hotel. The way to the bus station was clear and the bus left only 20 minutes late. It took a while to get out of town what with the huge traffic jams and flooded streets, and I had a good view of the submerged houses, the river way over its banks, people stuck on roofs, the boats navigating the streets, tops of cars and one man a raft of empty water cooler bottles carefully transporting a cage full of budgies. I got off lightly ¿ it looked like hell, although without any sense of panic. John Fairweather, London, UK |
| Traffic flows very slowly out of town. Food should be sufficient for now as the larger supermarkets has local storages. As for my own situation I'm on dry land and many others as well. We don't need to flee the city at this point as the water supply is stable. Allan Hansen, Villahermosa, Mexico | Traffic flows very slowly out of town. Food should be sufficient for now as the larger supermarkets has local storages. As for my own situation I'm on dry land and many others as well. We don't need to flee the city at this point as the water supply is stable. Allan Hansen, Villahermosa, Mexico |
| Jalapa is a town of Tabasco and it has been affected by the floodwater. The bridge that helps us to communicate to Villahermosa has broken and we are not able to leave at the moment. The governor says it will be repaired soon but we can't buy things of food and others... Angeles Hernandez, Jalapa, Tabasco, Mexico | Jalapa is a town of Tabasco and it has been affected by the floodwater. The bridge that helps us to communicate to Villahermosa has broken and we are not able to leave at the moment. The governor says it will be repaired soon but we can't buy things of food and others... Angeles Hernandez, Jalapa, Tabasco, Mexico |
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