Death toll from hurricane Agatha in Mexico reduced to 9

Mexico City:  The death toll from hurricane Agatha in Mexico was reduced to nine from 11, while six people remain missing, a top official said.

Oaxaca Governor Alejandro Murat said on Thursday that “the number was lowered because we have been able to provide aid to most of the communities affected by Agatha”, which made landfall in the region on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Some 25,500 residents were still experiencing power outages, although the figure was far less than the initial 80,000, he noted.

Murat also warned that in the coming days, there was an 80 per cent chance of another cyclone.

Secretary of Defence Luis Cresencio Sandoval said that over 3,000 members of the armed forces were participating in relief efforts for Oaxaca implemented by the federal government.

Agatha is the first hurricane of the 2022 season, making landfall as a category 2 hurricane in Oaxaca before weakening.

Forecasters predict that between 14 and 21 named storms could form in the Atlantic Ocean during this year’s season, with six to 10 becoming hurricanes.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs through November 30.

–IANS

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