Hurricane Harvey: Mexico delivers aid to storm-ravaged Texas

Mexico will come to the aid of victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas, despite a brewing row as US President Donald Trump continues to push for the construction of a wall along the southern US border at Mexico's expense.

The Mexican Red Cross has sent 33 English-speaking volunteers to the state, which shares a 1,254-mile border with its southern neighbour. They will work in shelters in Houston for 20 days, before a new team relieves them, Reuters reports.

The convoy departed shortly after Texas governor Greg Abbott announced that a separate offer of aid from the Mexican government, including vehicles, boats, supplies and food, had been accepted.

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Since hitting land on Friday, the tropical storm has forced more than 35,000 people into shelters and killed at least 35. It has now moved east to Louisiana but Texas is still coping with the aftermath. Two explosions shook a chemical plant near Houston on Thursday, sending a plume of black smoke into the air and starting an intense fire that was still burning hours later," NBC reports.

Mexico's support for its US neighbours may seem surprising given previous comments Trump made describing Mexicans as drug dealers, rapists and criminals, and his plans to build a wall on the US southern border, repeated as recently as last Sunday.

This is not the first time Mexico has come to the aid of its northern neighbour, however. In 2005 the country's army distributed aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Thanking Mexico's Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray, who was on a visit to Washington, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, said: "They've offered a wide range of assistance coordinating with the governor down in Texas and also through FEMA, but very generous of Mexico to offer their help at this very, very challenging time for our citizens down in Texas and now moving toward the border with Louisiana.

"So thank you very much, Mr. Secretary."

Mexicans in Houston are also helping victims of the flooding. According to The Independent, four workers at a Mexican bakery who were trapped because of rising floodwaters made hundreds of loaves and sheets of pan dulce, a Mexican pastry, to donate to other people affected by the disaster.

The bakers from the El Bolillo bakery in Houston could not leave after a late shift because of water levels outside the shop. As their bakery remained dry and did not lose electricity, they decided to keep baking to help others and take their minds of their predicament.

"By the time the owner managed to get to them, they had made so much bread that we took the loaves to loads of emergency centres across the city for people affected by the floods," Brian Alvarado, manager of the shop, told The Independent.

"We didn't count exactly how many loaves they made, but they used 4,400 pounds [1,996kg] of flour."