Seven Dead, Nine Missing In Mexico Flash Flood Jhon 10 months ago Text size At least seven people died and nine were missing in Mexico after heavy rains turned a mountain stream into a torrent of muddy water that swept away villagers, authorities said. The bodies of some victims were reported to have been found several kilometers (miles) downstream from where they disappeared near Autlán, in the western state of Jalisco. "There are nine people missing and seven dead," the local Civil Protection official, Juan Ignacio Arroyo Verástegui, told AFP, based on preliminary figures. Deforestation and a fire earlier this year caused significant damage to the forested area and could have contributed to the flash floods, he said. Dozens of rescuers were deployed to the area to search for the missing, authorities said. Mexico is periodically affected by floods and tropical storms. Scientists say climate change is increasing the risk of heavy rain because warmer air holds more moisture. str/sem/dr/bfm