Residents of Mexico's hurricane-stricken resort city of Acapulco emptied shelves of looted supermarkets on Thursday and appealed for government help as they searched desperately for food and water.

Amparo Ponce, 57, guarded the precious groceries she had found in a store that was ransacked after Hurricane "Otis" left a trail of destruction and at least 27 dead.

"We're all going out to look for food," she said, pleading for assistance from the authorities.

Others ran through the supermarket looking for something to take home, though the shelves were mostly already stripped bare of food.

Outside, a woman said that the staff had opened the doors for people to take what they needed.

But for some residents it was already too late.

"We can't find food. All the stores are already looted," Guillermina Morales said.

Similar scenes were repeated across Acapulco.

While many residents were out looking for food and water, some helped themselves to alcohol and even televisions and other electrical goods.

People navigated the debris-strewn streets carrying toilet paper, eggs and bread.

"It's a survival instinct," one man carrying flour to make traditional tortillas said.