Tourists wait for B ights out of Cancun

The Associated Press

CANCUN — Hundreds of haggard tourists stranded for days by Hurricane Wilma were dropped by the sunscorched roadside outside Cancun’s international airport on Tuesday as of 1 cials promised 7 ights would 1 nally start carrying them home.

But the chaos that has gripped Mexico’s resort- studded Caribbean coast in the aftermath of the storm continued to frustrate storm victims, many of whom complained the evacuation effort was disorganized.

Although 27 7 ights were scheduled to leave the airport after it reopened Tuesday morning, no 7ightswere seen leaving and of 1 cials gave little explanation.

“There’s no information. Nobody knows anything. And what they know changes every minute,” said Steve Toth, 41, of Crown Point, Ind. President Vicente Fox said getting the tourists home — and then getting them back again by the start of the high season in December— was one of Mexico’s highest national priorities, given that Cancun attracts so many visitors.

Desperation was common across 7 ooded, looted Cancun. A curfew was declared on Monday night. Police cars drove through the city, their lights 7 ashing. Of 1 cers barked orders over loudspeakers for people to return to their homes.

Many of Cancun’s own 500,000 residents have lost nearly everything in 7 ooded or destroyed homes.