Mexico City Earthquake: 7.1 Magnitude Tremors Cause Buildings to Collapse

[kellyhound]

A new powerful earthquake has jolted Mexico City - measuring magnitude 7.1 according to the US Geological Survey (USGS) - causing buildings to sway sickeningly on the anniversary of a 1985 quake that did major damage to the capital. The quake caused rubble to fall onto cars, and some building facades to collapse to the streets.

The extent of damage or injuries was not immediately clear, but people fled office buildings along the central Reforma Avenue. Local media reported at least five deaths, and an unspecified number of others who may be trapped in buildings throughout the city.

Mexico's seismological agency estimated its preliminary magnitude at 6.8 and said its centre was east of the city in the state of Puebla. That municipality is about 40 miles southeast of the capital.

One visitor to the city, who asked to be identified simply as Juan, was in a penthouse building in the city when the quake struck.

He sent a text which said: "One word: apocalyptic. We heard the earth roar and the buildings creak. My heart was still pounding fast, minutes afterwards."

Pictures fell from walls and objects were shaken off of flat surfaces. Some people dove for cover under desks.

A video that appears to show the earthquake in action shows lights swaying above people crowding into hallways for safety, and then those lights seeming to lose power.

Another video, streamed live on Twitter's Periscope in the Federal District of the city, showed dozens of men attempting to remove large metal beams that appeared to have fallen during the earthquake - it was not clear what was underneat.

A car in the footage was covered in dust, another was smashed, and rubble was strewn all about.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...-a7956251.html

[morcsea]

Damn!

[loonodingle]

This is going to be catastrophic those large buildings could be full of people.

[Bletch]

Many dead

The world is going under by water, fire and earthquakes.

[rick7022]

[kellyhound]

Originally Posted by Bletch

Many dead

The world is going under by water, fire and earthquakes.

Mexico was struck by a powerful earthquake on Tuesday that killed at least 149 people and toppled several buildings in the capital.

The death toll climbed throughout the night as rescue workers continued digging through rubble, with 21 children at a collapsed primary school among those killed.

The 7.1 magnitude earthquake came on the anniversary of a devastating 1985 temblor that caused major damage to Mexico City, and struck as many people took part in an earthquake drill.

Thousands fled into the streets in panic as the powerful quake rocked several states in the centre of the country.

The epicentre was Atencingo in Puebla state, around 75 miles south-east of Mexico City, and struck at a depth of 32 miles, according to the US Geological Survey, at 1.14pm local time.

Tony Gali, the governor of Puebla, said that church steeples had been toppled in the city of Cholula.

Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said buildings fell at 44 places in Mexico City, where more than 50 people died, and fires broke out in several of them.

Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said rescue teams were working painstakingly with picks and shovels to free people who had been trapped

[spudigitti]

God have mercy !!

[Azimuth]

It's surreal and terrifying to watch on a screen, can't imagine being there!

[Arkoquisa]

With 2 large and active volcanoes and combined with the unstable land being build on the lake-bed after it was drained, has created a perfect scenario for earthquakes.

I will need to try and find the picture, but I had a pic that showed the 5 lake system on an overlay of modern Mexico City.

[kellyhound]

Nine days after the earthquake, at least 361 people had been reported killed. At least 74 people were killed in the state of Morelos, 220 in Mexico City, 45 in Puebla, 13 in the State of Mexico, 6 in the state of Guerrero and one in the state of Oaxaca.

In Mexico City, the bodies of 26 students and four instructors were pulled from the rubble of the Enrique C. Rébsamen school; 30 students and 8 adults were still unaccounted for as of the evening of 19 September.

The Mexico City campus of the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education suffered damage, with at least 5 people killed and 40 injured.

More than 6,000 people had been reported injured by the day after the earthquake, with more than 300 confirmed dead as Mexico earthquake rescue efforts continue.

On 1st October the number of people known to have been killed was stated to be 361, with more than 4,500 injured. By place, 220 were killed in Mexico City, 74 in the state of Morelos, 45 in Puebla, 15 in Mexico State, six in Guerrero, and one in Oaxaca.

In Puebla, church steeples had toppled in the city of Cholula, and a church on the slopes of Popocatépetl in Atzitzihuacan collapsed during mass, killing 15 people.

A second church, which was built in the 17th century, fell in Atzala during a baptism, killing 11 people including the baby.

At least 44 buildings collapsed in Mexico City due to the earthquake, trapping people inside, creating large plumes of dust, and starting fires.

At least 50 to 60 people were rescued by emergency workers and citizens. Several buildings caught fire. Condesa, Roma and del Valle neighbourhoods were among those most affected in the zone: a building located on Álvaro Obregón Avenue collapsed, and several buildings on Ámsterdam Avenue suffered damage.

Another vid.