B.C. man describes ‘chaotic’ situation in Puerto Vallarta as violence erupts, flights cancelled

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As Canadians in and around Puerto Vallarta were being advised to shelter in place Sunday, Vancouver International Airport cancelled all flights to and from the popular vacation destination.

• Read more: Canadians warned as violence erupts in Mexico. Follow for live updates.

Ryan Voutilainen, who was scheduled to fly home to B.C. Sunday, was instead sheltering in place at his Airbnb. He is one of an estimated 5,000 Canadians in a region rocked by violence after a cartel leader was reportedly killed in a raid.

Voutilainen tells CTV news the first indication he had that something was wrong was a phone call from a friend in a nearby hotel who sent him video of vehicles being set on fire around the “main drag” popular with tourists.

After finding a sheltered perch on the roof of the building where he is staying, he said he saw “people on motorbikes pushing a car into an intersection and setting it ablaze and then actually looting the local corner store.”

“There have been multiple fires, and lots of smoke. If you walk outside you can smell it all throughout Puerto Vallarta,” Voutilainen continued.

While he felt relatively safe where he was when he spoke to CTV news, he said the uncertainty of what’s to come was unnerving.

“You don’t know what they’re going to do,” Voutilainen said, adding “it’s a very chaotic and fast-moving situation currently down here.”

For now, all he knows for sure is that he can’t leave.

Vancouver International Airport posted a brief statement about the situation online after WestJet, Air Canada and Porter announced they were halting flights.

“YVR is aware of a security situation within Puerto Vallarta that is impacting operations at Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport. Flights scheduled to operate between YVR and Puerto Vallarta today have been cancelled as a result,” the statement said.

“Our guest experience team is in the terminal assisting affected passengers.”

A travel advisory from the federal government issued Sunday said the shelter-in-place order was issued due to an eruption of violence.

“Criminal groups have set up roadblocks with burning vehicles in several cities in Jalisco State, including in Puerto Vallarta. There have been shootouts with security forces and explosions,” the advisory said, describing conditions in the region as “rapidly evolving."

The Associated Press is reporting the surge of violence came after the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, was killed.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand, in a statement, said the safety and security of Canadians is the government’s top priority.

“Weare deeply alarmed by reports of violence following a major security operation, including armed clashes, roadblocks, and vehicles set on fire in multiple areas,” she wrote.

“Global Affairs officials are in close contact with local authorities and partners and stand ready to provide consular assistance to Canadians in the region.”

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Ben Nesbit