Powerful 7.4 Quake Hits Southern Mexico

7.4 magnitude earthquake hits southern Mexico

CNN

A 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit Mexico's southern coastline on Tuesday, collapsing buildings and prompting evacuations, has left at least five people dead, officials said.

The earthquake occurred at 10:29 a.m. local time (11:29 a.m. ET), with an epicenter 6.8 miles southwest of Santa María Zapotitlán in Oaxaca state, near El Coyul. 

At least five people were killed, according to the coordinator for Mexico's National Civil Protection Service.

Oaxaca state Gov. Alejandro Murat said a 22-year-old woman and a man were among the dead.

The Oaxacan Health Services also reported damages from the quake to general hospitals in Pochutla, Puerto Escondido and Pinotepa Nacional and a few community hospitals in other areas. According to Murat, two of the hospitals with damages have been dealing with coronavirus patients.

"We are verifying [damages] because this hospital is also tending Covid cases on the Oaxacan coast," he said on a radio interview with Radio Fórmula. The severity of the damages are not specified.

The National Civil Protection Service reported the first death after a structure collapsed after the earthquake, which occurred just east of the popular tourist destination Huatulco.

Authorities also reported a power outage throughout the state's capital and damages to the exterior of a hospital in Oaxaca.

The earthquake could be felt as far as Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. In capital Mexico City, approximately 190 miles north of the epicenter, tremors were felt and sirens were heard wailing.

Tsunami waves of 0.68 meters (2.2 ft) were observed in Acapulco and 0.71 meters (2.3 ft) in Salina Cru. An earlier tsunami warning was revised down, according to the US Tsunami Warning System, forecasting possible waves of up to a meter (3.3 ft).

The damage in Oaxaca state is considered light to moderate, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeMap.

Earlier estimates put the magnitude of the earthquake at 7.7, but that has been revised down to 7.4 (and additional revisions are possible).

Mexico is one of the world's most seismically active regions and has a long history of devastating earthquakes. The country is located on top of three large tectonic plates and their movement causes regular quakes and occasional volcanic eruptions.

In 2017, two powerful earthquakes hit the country in two weeks, toppling buildings, cracking highways and killing hundreds of people. One had a magnitude of 7.1 and the other a magnitude of 8.1.

Raw video of Acapulco earthquake…

Powerful quake shakes southwest Mexico

 Uriel Sanchez

A powerful earthquake struck southwestern Mexico near the beach resort of Acapulco on Tuesday, killing at least one man who was crushed by a falling post, and causing rock falls and damaging buildings, authorities said.

The quake of magnitude 7.0, which hit 11 miles (17.7 km) northeast of Acapulco, shook the hillsides around the city, downing trees and pitching large boulders onto roads, causing power outages in several states.

Many people gathered in the streets of the Mexican holiday destination amid the aftershocks.

"We were only just checking into the hotel, so we have all our things with us," said Jessica Arias, who was part of a group of eight visiting from Mexico City, the capital. "They told us it's still not safe to enter."

Others said they were having dinner or at the cinema when the quake hit.

"We were in shock," said Andrea del Valle, who was sitting on a pavement with her partner after rushing out of a cinema. "There were no earthquake alarms, so we felt it when it was already happening."

Guerrero state governor Hector Astudillo told local television that a man was killed by a falling post in Coyuca de Benitez, a small town just west of Acapulco.

Authorities reported a gas leak at a café as well as damage to a hotel and a public hospital.

Acapulco is roughly 230 miles (370 km) from Mexico City.

In the central Roma Sur neighborhood of Mexico City, lights went off and scared residents rushed out, some in little more than their pajamas, a Reuters witness said. Residents huddled together in the rain, holding young children or pets.

"It was terrible. It really reminds me of the 1985 quake every time something like this happens," said Yesmin Rizk, a 70-year-old resident of the neighborhood. "I'm not sure we'll sleep tonight."

Mexican state power utility the Comision Federal de Electricidad said in a statement 1.6 million users had been affected by the quake in Mexico City, the adjacent State of Mexico, and the states of Guerrero, Morelos and Oaxaca.