Five killed after hurricane John lashes Mexico

Mexico City, Sep 27 (IANS) At least five people were killed after Hurricane John lashed Mexico's Guerrero state, the government said on Friday.

"There are five deaths so far," Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters at his usual daily press conference at the National Palace, Xinhua news agency reported.

"There was not much material damage" to the Pacific Coast state, with reports of some "700 homes damaged," he added.

The eye of the hurricane made landfall in Guerrero Monday night as a category 3 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometres per hour and gusts of 220 kilometres per hour, according to authorities.

On Wednesday, Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado reported an initial two deaths from the hurricane, which was downgraded to a tropical storm.

Authorities, however, warned that John regained strength as a category 1 hurricane, and was expected to dump substantial rain in west and south Mexico.