Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Public Safety

7-Year-Old Tijuana Girl Dies In Storm

Baja California's Director of Civil Protection, Alfredo Escobedo, says a 7-year-old girl died Wednesday evening in Tijuana when flood waters overcame the car she was riding in with her family.

Escobedo says rescuers found the girl's body and pulled her dad out alive. However, Escobedo says the girl's mom, who is pregnant, and siblings, who are 10 and 5, are missing.

He says the family was swept away in Los Laureles Canyon. The canyon lacks many services, like water and sewage, and drains into San Diego's Tijuana River Valley.

Advertisement

As of late Wednesday evening, Escobedo said rescuers were plucking some people from the roofs of their homes, many cars were underwater, and a number of power poles were down. He said it was too early to estimate how many people were in trouble or without power due to the rains in Tijuana, and throughout the state, because he was still receiving reports from the field.

Escobedo said 20 Rosarito neighborhoods were without electricity.

Meanwhile, Baja California's Education Secretary has canceled classes Thursday throughout the state.

Correction: Baja California's Director of Civil Protection says the missing siblings are 2 and 5 and that their mother is alive.

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.