Mexico: 17 patients die as floods hit COVID hospital
Wednesday, 8 September 2021 (10:30 IST)
At least 17 patients died after flooding hit a hospital in central Mexico, disrupting the power supply and damaging oxygen equipment, authorities said Tuesday.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador urged residents at risk to seek shelter, areas of higher ground or stay with friends or relatives.
"In this honorable job there are good, very good, bad and very bad days; today is one of the latter days," Lopez Obrador tweeted. "I am very saddened by the death of 17 hospital patients."
He added: "A lot of rain has fallen in the Valley of Mexico and it will keep raining."
Evacuation process
A video from the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) said roughly 40 other patients survived as waters submerged downtown Tula, some 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of Mexico City.
"At this moment, the rescue maneuvers are being carried out in the HGZ No.5 Tula, Hidalgo," the IMSS tweeted.
"Once the last 20 patients have been evacuated, we will begin to evacuate our staff, who have been at the foot of the canyon at all times."
En este momento se están llevando a cabo las maniobras del rescate en el HGZ No.5 Tula, Hidalgo. Una vez evacuados los últimos 20 pacientes comenzaremos a evacuar a nuestro personal de @Tu_IMSS, quienes han estado al pie del cañón en todo momento. pic.twitter.com/6OZZCMbpDP
Video footage from inside the hospital showed knee-deep water as staff frantically tried to evacuate or move patients to safety. IMSS Director Zoe Robledo said the floods knocked out power to the area as well as the hospital's generators.
Video has emerged showing an evacuation of a hospital in Tula, Mexico involving 57 people, as flash floods brought raging torrents.
The governor of the Hidalgo region says 17 patients have died. Possibly due to the loss of oxygen when the power went out.#Mexico#Tulapic.twitter.com/hf3Xt9Rj5r
