B.C. travellers stranded in Puerto Vallarta as violence engulfs the Mexican city and several states
CBC
British Columbians stranded in the Mexican city of Puerto Vallarta say they woke up to explosions and burning vehicles after violence triggered a shelter-in-place order and grounded flights to and from the popular coastal city.
Yogi Omar, a Vancouver resident who is there celebrating his 40th birthday, said he initially thought the sounds he heard early Sunday morning were fireworks.
“Then my friend was like, ‘Oh my God, they’re blowing shit up,’” Omar said. “So, I went out and it was like cars blowing up here, there, everywhere … it just looked like a war zone.”
Omar said guests in the apartment building he is staying at were briefly evacuated after a car was set on fire near a gas station across the street. He later took shelter at a nearby home with about 200 others.
“We’re all starving, so we’re just trying to find any crackers, anything that we can find,” he said. “More than anything else, we just want to make sure that we’re safe.”
Puerto Vallarta, in the state of Jalisco, is famous for being a welcoming destination to the 2SLGBTQ+ community, especially for gay men.
Omar, a queer Vancouverite, describes it as “a little slice of heaven.” While it’s known for its party scene, the area is rich in culture and art, and there’s something for everyone, he says.
“There's not so many places that we can just exist authentically,” he says. “I can just be. I don't have to explain, I don't have to justify.”
But Sunday's violence has shaken that sense of safety, he says.
The unrest prompted widespread flight cancellations, including flights between Puerto Vallarta and other airports in B.C.
According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, a flight set to depart Kelowna International Airport to Puerto Vallarta on Monday has been cancelled, along with two incoming flight from the Mexican city.
At Comox Valley Airport, both departing and arriving flights to and from Puerto Vallarta were cancelled Sunday.
In a statement earlier Sunday, YVR said flights scheduled to operate between the two cities today have been cancelled.
Flight tracking data shows some Canada-bound planes turned around mid-flight.
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