A massive earthquake shakes Mexico’s central Pacific coast. The US agency USGS gave the strength at 7.6 and the Mexican Seismological Institute at 7.7. The epicenter of the earthquake was southeast of the city of Aquila in the state of Michoacan on the Mexican Pacific coast.
A dead person
The Mexican government announced yesterday (local time) that one person died in the collapse of the port of Manzanillo in the state of Colima. Another person was injured by glass in a hospital in Michoacan. Millions of people in the country of 126 million people felt the earthquake. Many people gathered in the air.
September 19 is a sad date in Mexico. On this day 37 years ago, an earthquake struck Mexico City, killing thousands of people. On September 19, 2017, the earth shook again in Mexico – 369 people died, 228 of them in Mexico City.
200 responses, tsunami warning issued
In the hours following yesterday’s quake, there were more than 200 aftershocks, the most severe measuring 5.3. The US weather agency NOAA has issued a tsunami warning. Dangerous tsunami waves are possible. The Mexican civil defense also warned of a tsunami, but put it in perspective that a significant rise in sea level was not expected.
Damaged houses, power outages
There was damage to homes and some power outages. The Mexican government said that engineers and technical teams in the most affected areas, the states of Colima and Michoacan, are examining detailed conditions of buildings and infrastructure. According to the Mayor of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum, no serious damage has been reported there so far.
Media such as Televisa television and “El Universal” newspaper reported damage elsewhere. A hospital in the community of Maruata in Michoacan was heavily damaged and patients were evacuated. Classes were initially suspended in several states this afternoon.
Earthquake alert during civil protection exercise
An earthquake alarm was triggered in Mexico City – shortly after a civil protection exercise was carried out throughout the country this afternoon on the anniversary of the severe earthquake of 2017, as the newspaper “El Universal” further reported.
The entire west coast of South, Central and North America lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire. This is the most geologically active region in the world. 90 percent of all earthquakes worldwide occur there. “The coincidence of the earthquakes of September 19 deserves to open new lines of scientific research,” the National Autonomous University of Mexico tweeted. This must be done with reliability and methodology.