Severe rains and widespread flooding have left at least 37 people dead in central and southeastern Mexico, officials said on Saturday, as rescue operations continued amid rising water levels and blocked roads.

The National Civil Protection Agency said 22 people were killed in the state of Hidalgo, north of the capital, following landslides and flash floods. Power was cut in more than 150 residential areas across the region as heavy rainfall continued for a fifth consecutive day.

In Puebla, east of Mexico City, at least nine people were killed and over 16,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, authorities said. In the coastal state of Veracruz, army and navy units were deployed to 42 communities cut off by landslides and overflowing rivers, with some 16,000 homes across 55 districts reported damaged.

Officials also confirmed the death of a child in the central state of Querétaro after a mudslide struck the family's home. Nationwide, more than 320,000 people have been affected by power outages caused by the storms.

Meteorologists attributed the torrential rainfall to two tropical storms, Priscilla and Raymond, that formed along Mexico's western coast, bringing days of heavy downpours across several states.

Thousands of soldiers and emergency workers have been deployed to clear blocked roads, search for missing persons, and deliver food and supplies to isolated communities, officials said.

Authorities warned that with rain expected to continue in coming days, the risk of further landslides and rising casualties remains high. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has ordered federal agencies to prioritize relief and restoration efforts in the worst-affected regions.

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