At least 13 people have been killed by a tornado that hit the northern Mexico border city of Ciudad Acuna. Hundreds of homes have been damaged or destroyed in the city, in Coahuila state, just across the border from Del Rio, Texas. The US state has had big floods, with at least three dead and 12 missing.
Images from Mexico showed cars and buildings badly damaged. Many people have been injured and there are fears the death toll could rise. Coahuila Governor Ruben Moreira, on a visit to the stricken area, said 10 adults and three children had died and a baby was missing. Another 150 people had been taken to hospital, he said.
The authorities say that more than 1,000 homes have been damaged by the storm.
At one point the tornado reached a speed of 270-300km/h (168-186mph). Most of those who died were walking on the street when it struck, officials said.
The missing baby's child carrier was ripped from its mother's hands by a sudden gust of wind, Coahuila state Interior Secretary Victor Zamora told the AP news agency.
Ciudad Acuna Mayor Evaristo Lenin Perez said that it was the first tornado to hit Acuna since the city's foundation, more than 100 years ago.
Rescuers were searching the 750 damaged properties for more casualties.
"There are cars on top of houses, there are dead people lying in the street, it is total chaos," said local resident Maria del Rosario Ramirez, quoted by Mexican newspaper La Jornada.
Credit: BBC
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