Hundreds feared dead in landslide in Oaxaca

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A landslide swept a village in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca while residents slept and engulfed at least 100 homes, trapping and possibly killing at least 400 people, state authorities said (link in Spanish).

Some estimates put the number of victims much higher. The landslide hit the town of Santa Maria Tlahuitoltepec, in mountains to the east of Oaxaca City, at around 4 a.m. local time, Gov. Ulises Ruiz told the Televisa network.

Rescuers and news media scrambling to get to the remote area were being hampered by spotty communications and poor roads. Oaxaca is among the states in Mexico that have suffered flooding in heavy seasonal rains this summer.

The L.A. Times will have more updates throughout the day.

-- Daniel Hernandez in Mexico City