Hurricane Odile batters Mexico's tourist haven

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Power lines and debris are knocked over on a street after Hurricane Odile hit La Paz, in Baja California, September 15, 2014. [Photo/Agencies] 

Hurricane Odile ground its way up Mexico's Baja California peninsula on Monday, gradually losing strength after injuring dozens of people, forcing the evacuation of thousands and smashing shops open to looters in the popular tourist area.

Fierce winds felled trees, buffeting homes and businesses, as one of the worst storms ever to hit the luxury retreats of Los Cabos battered Mexico's northwestern coast with heavy rains.

Odile has weakened from a Category 4 to Category 1 hurricane since Sunday, but the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said it would likely cause life-threatening flooding and mudslides on the northwestern coast in the next day or two.

The storm, with sustained winds of 80 miles per hour (130 km per hour), knocked out San Jose del Cabo's international airport. It was unclear when flights might restart.

"We're going to need about two weeks to clean this up, these are some serious losses," said Gerardo Rodas, 50, owner of a small hotel in the town of Loreto on the eastern flank of the peninsula by the shores of the Gulf of California.

Around 135 people required hospital treatment due to Odile, most for minor injuries, said Luis Felipe Puente, head of national emergency services. No deaths were reported.

By 2 p.m. PDT (2100 GMT), Odile was 45 miles (72 km) southwest of Loreto. The storm was moving northwest at 13 mph (21 km/h) and was likely to turn north in coming days, the NHC said.

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