Heavy rains in southern Mexico have caused major flooding in the state of Tabasco, leaving one person dead and thousands homeless.
Authorities said Wednesday that at least 20,000 people were rushed to shelters as floodwaters poured over riverbanks, devastating communities. Rescue workers assisted evacuation efforts and saved people stranded on rooftops.
The flooding has affected more than 300,000 people and has left 70 percent of the state underwater.
Authorities in Tabasco also say water crept up around the huge stone heads of an Olmec Indian archeological site.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon visited the area Wednesday to assess the damage. He has promised aid and more rescue workers.
A cold front is blamed for the bad weather.
Last week, storms caused an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico to collide with another rig, killing at least 19 oil workers.
The mishap sent oil and natural gas spilling into the Gulf, but Mexico's state oil company, Pemex, says the amount of crude spilled was less than previously thought.
Stormy seas also closed Mexico's main Gulf coast oil ports, temporarily disrupting production by about 600,000 barrels of oil per day.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
