Mr Monaghan said his sons and friends were evacuated yesterday from their resort hotel to a shopping mall, where they waited for the hurricane to pass.

Roosters football operations manager Steve Gigg said the group had made its way to a resort theatre, which had been deemed structurally safe by authorities.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) spokeswoman Chelsea Martin said the Australian embassy in Mexico had been notified of the Australians in the stricken area, and would endeavour to make contact with them as the hurricane savaged the resort.

Six Australians were located in a shelter at a Cancun shopping centre, she said.Another Australian had sought refuge at a shelter in Playa de Carmen.

The Australian in Playa de Carmen, who could not be identified because of privacy laws, had a three-day supply of food and water, a toilet and a washroom, and had access to an onsite doctor and medical supplies.

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