Dozens dead after Hurricane Otis batters Acapulco

Parts of beach resort city Acapulco are now a ‘disaster zone’ after taking a direct hit from Category 5 Hurricane Otis.

At least 27 people have now been confirmed killed and many access roads were blocked by landslides and debris.

Acapulco was hit with 165 mph winds which cut off almost all power.

The airport remains closed.

Post-hurricane video footage posted online shows badly damaged hotels and other buildings.

Even a shopping mall has suffered major structural damage.

It is fairly rare for a hurricane to make landfall still as a Category 5.

It is one Mexico’s deadliest hurricanes.

It has left many areas without power and access to food and supplies, spurring widespread looting from abandoned stores.

“We don’t have the capacity to stop looting because there’s so many people. This is a completely extraordinary situation,” said Acapulco police chief Luis Enrique Vazquez Rodriguez.

State governor Evelyn Salgado said as many as 80% of Acapulco’s hotels had been affected.

The city relies heavily on tourism.