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[webfact]

Major earthquake hits near Mexico City, dozens dead

By Anthony Esposito

 

People clear rubble after an earthquake hit Mexico City, Mexico September 19, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso

 

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A major earthquake of magnitude 7.1 struck central Mexico on Tuesday, toppling dozens of buildings in the heavily populated capital and killing at least 49 people nearby.

 

President Enrique Pena said 27 buildings had collapsed in Mexico City, one of the world's biggest cities. The first reports of fatalities were from surrounding areas.

 

In the state of Morelos, just south of Mexico City, 42 people died, the state's governor said. Authorities reported other deaths in neighbouring Puebla and the State of Mexico.

 

People are seen injured after an earthquake hit in Mexico City, Mexico September 19, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso

 

 

“People are really scared right now,” said dentist Claudia Meneses who was in her clinic in Mexico City's Lindavista neighbourhood when the earthquake struck mid-afternoon. “We’re going to go to a building that fell to see if we can help.”

 

Earthquakes of magnitude 7 or above are regarded as major and are capable of causing widespread heavy damage.

 

Television images showed a multi-story building in the capital with a middle floor collapsed as sirens blared and first responders rushed to the scene. Other video showed the side of a government building shearing off and falling into the street as bystanders screamed.

 

Damages are seen after an earthquake hit in Mexico City, Mexico September 19, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso

 

Rescue workers pulled at least one survivor from a collapsed building in the Condesa neighbourhood near the centre of Mexico City.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Twitter: "God bless the people of Mexico City. We are with you and will be there for you." The city and its surrounding area are home to about 20 million people.

 

In Cuernavaca, a city south of Mexico City, there were unconfirmed reports on local radio of people trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

 

People react after an earthquake hit in Mexico City, Mexico September 19, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso

 

Mexican TV and social media showed cars crushed by debris. Many people fled into the streets, and electricity and phone lines were down in parts of the capital.

 

"We got out really fast, leaving everything as it was and just left," said Rosaura Suarez, as she stood with a crowd on the street.

 

The quake hit only hours after many people participated in earthquake drills around the nation on the anniversary of a devastating quake that killed thousands in Mexico City in 1985.

 

Many people were also still shaken from another quake on Sept. 7 in southern Mexico that killed at least 98 people.

 

The epicentre of Tuesday's quake was located in the central state of Puebla, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

(Reporting by Mexico City newsroom; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Alistair Bell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-09-20

[webfact]

More than 100 dead in major earthquake near Mexico City

By Anthony Esposito

 

Damages are seen after an earthquake hit in Mexico City, Mexico September 19, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso

 

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A major earthquake of magnitude 7.1 struck central Mexico on Tuesday, killing at least 119 people in several states and toppling buildings in the heavily populated capital where rescuers searched frantically for survivors under the rubble.

 

Thousands of people ran out into the streets in panic, and millions lost electricity when the quake struck around lunchtime.

 

Sirens blared as first responders rushed through the streets of Mexico City. President Enrique Pena Nieto said 27 buildings had collapsed or partially collapsed there.

 

“People are really scared right now," said dentist Claudia Meneses who was in her clinic in Mexico City's Lindavista neighbourhood when the earthquake struck in the afternoon. “We’re going to go to a building that fell to see if we can help.”

 

Earthquakes of magnitude 7 or above are regarded as major and are capable of causing widespread heavy damage.

 

Initial reports showed the worst-hit area was the state of Morelos, just south of Mexico City. At least 54 people died there, according to a state official. Authorities reported other deaths in Mexico City, and in neighbouring Puebla and the State of Mexico.

 

Power was cut to 3.8 million customers, the national electricity company CFE said.

 

It was the second powerful earthquake to hit Mexico this month. Another quake on Sept. 7 in southern Mexico killed at least 98 people.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Twitter: "God bless the people of Mexico City. We are with you and will be there for you." The city, one of the world's most populous, and surrounding area are home to about 20 million people.

 

ILL-FATED DATE

 

The quake hit 32 years to the day since a devastating earthquake killed thousands in Mexico City in 1985. Many Mexicans had participated in earthquake drills around the nation on Tuesday as is customary every Sept. 19.

 

Dozens of police, rescue workers and neighbours dug through the wreckage of collapsed buildings in Mexico City.

 

At least one survivor was pulled from a collapsed building in the city's busy Condesa neighbourhood, and another person was rescued from a six-story apartment building nearby.

 

In Cuernavaca, a city in Morelos that is a popular destination for weekend visitors from Mexico City, there were reports on local radio of people trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

 

Mexican TV and social media showed cars crushed by debris.

 

"We got out really fast, leaving everything as it was and just left," said Rosaura Suarez, as she stood with a crowd on the street in Mexico City.

 

Mexican stocks and the peso currency dropped on news of the earthquake, and Mexico's stock exchange suspended trading.

 

The epicentre of Tuesday's quake was located in the central state of Puebla, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

 

(Reporting by Mexico City Newsroom; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Alistair Bell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-09-20

[nobodysfriend]

Yeah , " Pacha Mama " is angry ... there is more and worse to come ... people are to the world what ticks are to a dog ...

Edited September 20, 2017 by nobodysfriend

[Thorgal]

I'm in Veracruz and felt lightly the shock.

 

Unfortunately, I've heard on the local news that +120 people didn't make it...till now...

Edited September 20, 2017 by Thorgal

[Stargeezr]

RIP to all of those killed, and good luck to all those affected by this huge quake.  2017 has been a hard year on Mexico , the USA, and the Caribbean.

Geezer

[connda]

My guess is that they don't have the strictest building codes, hence the loss of life.  Sad. 

[oldcarguy]

8 hours ago, connda said:

My guess is that they don't have the strictest building codes, hence the loss of life.  Sad. 

the newer buildings have current building code as they had another big earthquake in 1985 that killed 1000s and updated the code after that ,,

 

its the older brick buildings that are the problem ,  and I am sure there is a lot of illegal building outside the city ,

 

and its a large city ,  9 million or so,

 

Good luck to them getting back to normal

[Scott]

Mexico city is built on soil that is prone to liquefaction, which intensifies the effects of an earthquake.   If I recall correctly, the 1985 quake was centered near Acapulco, which was built on bedrock and had much less damage than Mexico City, which was further away from the epicenter, but had substantially more damage.