Floods, landslides in Mexico leave at least 41 dead

At least 41 people are dead in central and southeastern Mexico after days of torrential rainfall triggered floods and landslides, authorities said Saturday.

The death toll rose as thousands of soldiers scoured the destruction left in the wake of the receding waters, clearing roads blocked with trees and cars to rescue the missing.

In Poza Rica, an oil town 170 miles northeast of Mexico City, residents told The Associated Press they heard the wall of water and the sound of cars crashing into one another before seeing the streets flood with more than 12 feet of water Friday.

Not everyone was able to evacuate in time.

There were also 15 deaths in the state of Veracruz, where the army and navy carried out rescue operations for residents in dozens of communities left isolated after landslides and swollen streams blocked roadways.

Authorities said they were searching for 27 missing people across the region, and 16,000 homes were damaged across the Gulf coast state’s 55 municipalities. 

Earlier, in the central state of Querétaro, a child died after being caught in a landslide.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.