Puebla - President Enrique Peña Nieto has ordered officials to fast-track reconstruction efforts in areas affected by Tropical Storm Earl, which killed 48 people in Mexico.

Earl, which made landfall as a hurricane last weekend, weakened over Mexico and its remnants dumped large amounts of rain on different states, killing 35 people in the central state of Puebla and 13 others in the Gulf state of Veracruz.

Peña Nieto on Tuesday visited areas hit by the storm in Puebla, speaking with residents and vowing to speed up the rebuilding process.

"We are going to deal very quickly" with this emergency, assisting those affected by the storm, the president said after speaking with residents of the city of Huauchinango.

Peña Nieto said he saw "the faces of sadness ... but also those of hope because we are able to provide an effective and quick response to the damage from this natural disaster."

Mudslides caused by heavy rains from the storm damaged at least 1,600 houses in Puebla's Sierra Norte mountains.

About 700 people are being housed in shelters in Puebla, with officials providing them with medical care, food, clothing and blankets.

At least five hundred families were affected around Huauchinango, emergency management officials said.