(MENAFN) The death toll from last week’s catastrophic flooding in eastern and central Mexico has climbed to 72, with 48 people still unaccounted for, officials confirmed Friday.

The state of Veracruz, positioned on the Gulf of Mexico, remains the hardest-hit region, reporting 32 deaths and widespread destruction across multiple communities. Hidalgo follows with 21 fatalities, while Puebla has recorded 18 deaths. Querétaro reported one fatality, rounding out the confirmed toll.

Authorities say entire communities remain cut off, especially in Veracruz, where Gov. Rocío Nahle stated, “Three municipalities and 37 communities in the state remain cut off.”

As part of the emergency response, 50 temporary shelters have been set up in northern Veracruz, currently sheltering 4,768 displaced residents. Emergency teams have distributed 58,288 aid packages to flood survivors.

Hidalgo, meanwhile, now has the highest number of isolated communities. While 288 locations had lost all communication as of Monday, officials say 161 have since been reconnected, leaving 77 still cut off.

Massive recovery operations are underway. Across five affected states, authorities have deployed over 375 pieces of heavy machinery and mobilized approximately 4,500 civilian workers. Including military and navy personnel, the total response force now exceeds 9,000 people, backed by nearly 1,000 machines.

President Claudia Sheinbaum plans to tour the disaster zones this weekend. However, she noted that San Luis Potosí and Querétaro will not be included, stating they are “no longer in a state of emergency.”

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