Villhermosa (Mexico): Hundreds of thousands of Mexicans fled devastating floods along the swampy Gulf coast, with many leaving for other parts of the country amid reports of looting and warnings of a possible health crisis.

President Felipe Calderon, who surveyed the disaster zone from the air on Friday, called the flooding one of Mexico's worst recent natural disasters. A week of heavy rains caused rivers to overflow, submerging at least 80 percent of the oil-rich state of Tabasco. Much of the state capital, Villahermosa, looked like New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, with murky water reaching to second-story rooftops and desperate people waiting to be rescued.

At least one death was reported and nearly all services, including drinking water and public transportation, were shut down as more than 900,000 people in the state of two million had their homes flooded, damaged or cut off. Food was extremely scarce, and federal Deputy Health Secretary Mauricio Hernandez warned of possible outbreaks of cholera and other waterborne diseases.

"With so many people packed together there is a chance that infectious diseases could spread," Hernandez said. About 150 of the state's hospitals and clinics were out of commission due to the flooding. Calderon ordered the armed forces and federal police to maintain order and prevent looting, but local radio reported that desperate residents had begun sacking markets for supplies.

Source : PTI