Press. voanews.com
A 7.1 magnitude
earthquake hit Mexico on Tuesday, collapsing buildings and trapping an unknown
number of people. TV images showed a multi-story building in the capital with a
middle floor collapsed as sirens blared from first responders rushing to the
scene. Other video showed the side of a government building sheering off and
falling into the street as bystanders screamed.
In Cuernavaca, a
city south of Mexico City, there were unconfirmed reports on local radio of
people trapped beneath collapsed buildings. The quake came just over a week
after another major quake shook the country. A civil protection official told
local TV that an unspecified number of people were trapped inside various
buildings that caught fire in Mexico City.
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.
Tuesday's
epicenter was located 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Atencingo in the central
state of Puebla at a depth of 32 miles (51 km), the U.S. Geological Survey
said. The quake hit only hours after many people participated in earthquake
drills around the nation on the anniversary of the devastating quake that
killed thousands in Mexico City in 1985.
Many people were
also still shaken from the recent quake on Sept. 7, a powerful 8.1 temblor that
killed at least 98 people. President Enrique Pena was on a flight to Oaxaca,
one of the hardest hit areas by that quake, and said via his Twitter account
that he was immediately returning to attend to the quake in Mexico City.
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Remains of a damaged building stands after an
earthquake in Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017. A powerful earthquake has
jolted Mexico, causing buildings to sway sickeningly in the capital on the
anniversary of a 1985 quake that did major damage. Strong 7.1 Quake Hits
Mexico, People Trapped in Collapsed Buildings. Trump Calls for Additional Steps
to Restore Democracy to Venezuela. Hurricane Maria Targets St. Croix and Puerto
Rico After Ripping Up Dominica. Economy Minister: Mexico Sees 'Elephants in the
Room' in NAFTA Talks
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