Powerful Mexico Quake Kills, Leaving Many Without Power (Video)

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A powerful earthquake shook southwestern Mexico near the beach resort of Acapulco, killing at least one man crushed by a falling post and causing rockfalls and damaging buildings, authorities say.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that Tuesday’s quake initially measured at a magnitude of 7.4 and later downgraded to 7.0.

Mexican state power utility the Comision Federal de Electricidad said 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.

The earthquake was felt strongly in Mexico City, sending residents and tourists spilling into the streets from homes and hotels.

“I’m very scared. I don’t know if I’ll sleep tonight. I’m worried about my daughter. I woke her up to take her outside, and I didn’t even put my shoes on,” 49-year-old resident Laura Villa told reporters.

Flashes of light were seen in the sky above the capital during the earthquake, which hit when Mexico was facing the third wave of Covid-19 infections and severe flooding in some areas.

It added to concerns among those still remembering September 19, 1985, when an 8.1-magnitude quake in Mexico City killed more than 10,000 people and destroyed hundreds of buildings.

On the anniversary of that earthquake in 2017, a 7.1 quake left around 370 people dead, mainly in the capital.

Bordered by the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Mexico is one of the most seismically active places globally, sitting atop five tectonic plates, including three major ones.

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