Mexico hit by Hurricane Ingrid and Tropical Storm Manuel Published duration 16 September 2013

media caption Mexico storms kill at least 19 and leave thousands homeless

At least 40 people have been killed in Mexico by two powerful storms battering the country simultaneously, one on its east and another on its west coast.

Hurricane Ingrid sent thousands to shelters on Mexico's eastern Gulf Coast before it was downgraded to a tropical storm just before it made landfall.

It is dumping torrential rains as it moves west-northwest through Tamaulipas state at a speed of 13km/h (8mph).

On the Pacific coast, Tropical Storm Manuel also caused widespread damage.

Twenty-two people were killed in the region, most of them in Guerrero state. The other victims were in Hidalgo, Puebla and Oaxaca.

A landslide in the town of Altotonga, in eastern Veracruz state, has killed 12 people. Rescue services are looking for survivors.

Ingrid weakening

Ingrid made landfall near the town of La Pesca in north-eastern Tamaulipas state on Monday.

image caption Tropical Storm Manuel caused extensive damage on Mexico's Pacific coast.

image caption The main highway in south-western Guerrero state was closed after buses overturned in flood waters.

image caption Even though the storm weakened to a tropical depression on Sunday, floodwaters were not receding.

image caption Some 2,000 residents were moved to shelters or stayed with friends and relatives.

image caption Six members of one family were killed when their house collapsed in a landslide in Acapulco.

It currently has maximum sustained winds of 55km/h (35 mph).

It has weakened since hitting land, and is expected to dissipate later on Tuesday, but forecasters at the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned Ingrid could still cause deadly flash floods and mudslides.

They said the storm could dump as much as 38cm (15 inches) of rain over parts of eastern Mexico.

Some 6,000 people were evacuated as the category one hurricane approached the coast. Celebrations marking Mexico's independence day were cancelled in many coastal towns.

State oil company Pemex said it had evacuated three platforms off the coast of Tamaulipas and closed two dozen wells in the area.

Ingrid arrived just a day after Tropical Storm Manuel hit Mexico's Pacific coast. The resort city of Acapulco was among those worst hit.

Eleven people are confirmed to have died there, six of them members of the same family whose house collapsed in a landslide.

Cars were dragged away in fast-flowing floodwaters and the airport has been closed.

Three more people were killed in landslides in surrounding Guerrero state. More than 20,000 homes have lost power.

Government ministers have been despatched to the most affected regions.