The heavy rains that caused flooding in eight states have so far resulted in 64 deaths, with Veracruz being the hardest hit. And the municipality of Poza Rica is one of the municipalities most affected by the flooding of the Cazones River. Amidst this context, a story has emerged: that of Don Chuy Escamilla.
Jesús Escamilla is an engineer who works at the Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) complex, from where he alerted the municipality’s population around 5:00 a.m. on October 10. According to the first images released by residents, it was during the early morning hours when the flooding that caused the emergency occurred.
The engineer recorded his actions on video, little imagining it would go viral. “We’re sounding the alarm, my love,” says Don Chuy in the short video of his action, which has been praised by dozens on social media, as they believe it helped some people reach safety.
“That’s right, thanks to that alarm, I was able to get my papers and pick up some of my children’s things,” “and to think that thanks to him, a greater tragedy was avoided,” “thank you for setting it off,” “I saw many Pemex trucks helping out,” “a hero without a cape, a great person, knowing full well that the life of an entire population is worth more,” were some of the comments that Don Chuy’s action provoked.
In Veracruz, 29 deaths were reported, with 18 still unlocated; in Puebla, there were 13 deaths, with four still unlocated; in Hidalgo, there were 21 deaths, with 43 still unlocated; and one person was reported dead. In San Luis Potosí, there are no reports of deaths or missing persons.
