Mexico clears up wreckage of Storm Otis

MEXICO CITY, Mexico — Mexican soldiers and rescue workers on Thursday scrambled to clear up the chaos and devastation wrought by Hurricane Otis in Acapulco as the government worked to bring relief to the battered southern beach resort.

Otis on Wednesday slammed into Acapulco in the state of Guerrero as one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit Mexico's Pacific coast, flooding streets, ripping roofs off homes and hotels, and severing communications, road and air access.

The toll remains unclear as downed phone service and electricity lines have made it hard to assess the extent of the damage, with no immediate reports of fatalities as of Wednesday evening.

Nearly 8,400 members of Mexico's army, air force and national guard were deployed in and near Acapulco to assist in cleanup efforts, the defense ministry said.

Classes were canceled for students across the state for a second day, and Governor Evelyn Salgado said on social media that authorities were working to restore electricity and reactivate drinking water pumps in Acapulco.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador arrived in the seaside city late on Wednesday, after his convoy found roads blocked by landslides and other debris, forcing the president and others to abandon their vehicles and walk the final distance.

Mexico's state power utility CFE had over 1,300 employees working to restore power, it said on Wednesday evening, when some 300,000 people remained without electricity.

Agencies Via Xinhua