At least 9 die in torrential Mexico downpours

Mexico City, Feb 5 (EFE).- Mexico awoke Friday to massive flooding that put several municipalities on an emergency footing and has caused nine deaths.

Government meteorologist Jaime Albarran told Efe that the rains unleashed by a low-pressure front since Thursday have sparked "a very infrequent situation" in what is supposed to be Mexico's dry season.

The disastrous rains in the Valley of Mexico caused the Rio de los Remedios river to overflow north of the capital, as well as the Compañia River east of the city in an area where hundreds of thousands of families have been affected.

The head of Mexico's National Water Commission, or Conagua, Jose Luis Luege Tamargo, lamented on Televisa television that the rains have fallen at a time when efforts are being made to repair Mexico City's water-supply infrastructure to increase its capacity, a project intended to be completed by 2012.

In the Mexican capital 174 schools are closed.

In the area known as El Arenal, the Mexican navy is working with six motorboats to bring aid to people who are trapped in the lower-level areas and in their homes, Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said on radio station MVS.

He attributed the record downpours to "a very significant change that is linked to climate change" and is altering rainfall patterns.

The army is deployed in several sensitive areas of the capital in accord with a natural-disaster response plan last applied in Mexico City during the catastrophic earthquake of 1985.

The same measure is being applied in the western state of Michoacan, where since Wednesday the rains have left seven people dead and six missing, according to authorities, while in Guanajuato state two other people lost their lives in the floods.

Between 1,500 and 1,600 people had to spend Thursday night in temporary shelters in various Michoacan municipalities.

The rains have now stopped across most of the western state, which will be visited Friday by President Felipe Calderon to evaluate the damage and visit the shelters where those left homeless are staying.