A group of Mexican divers on Tuesday joined the search for 16 people who disappeared after a "mini-tsunami" swept away a village in southern Mexican state of Chiapas, said Mexican Secretary of Interior Francisco Javier Ramirez Acuna.
The divers "will go to the bottom of the river to see if there are any people buried in the remains of the houses there," he said.
The tidal wave came after a landslide that pushed a whole hill into the Grijalva River in intense rains brought by Tropical Storm Noel.
Local media said the disaster left 16 people missing and destroyed 100 houses in Chiapas.
Some 64 people were reportedly rescued, according to local media.
Chiapas's governor, Juan Sabines, told local media that the disaster took place on Sunday evening, and "the landslide blocked the river completely and caused a 50-meter-high wave."
Calling it a "terrifying" disaster, he said it "was a freshwater mini-tsunami that carried away Juan de Grijalva, a village of 250 residents."
Mexican President Felipe Calderon said that he would lead the aid and reconstruction efforts.
A number of countries have responded to Calderon's call for international aid, including Germany and the United States, who offered 250,000 euros (362,500 U.S. dollars) and pledged 350,000 dollars respectively.
Source: Xinhua
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