Agustin Salinas/El Universal via ZUMA Wire/REX/Shutterstock
A major earthquake off Mexico’s southern coast has killed at least five people, sparking tsunami warnings. Further dangerous aftershocks are also expected.
The US Geological Survey reported the earthquake’s magnitude as 8.1, making it the biggest earthquake in Mexico since 1932.
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The USGS said the quake struck at 11.49pm local time on Thursday and its epicentre was 165 kilometres west of Tapachula in Chiapas, not far from Guatemala. It had a depth of 69.7 kilometres.
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Aftershock warning
The quake was so strong that it caused buildings to sway violently in Mexico’s capital, more than 1,000 kilometres away. Houses toppled and the quake produced tsunami waves and sent people running into the streets in panic. President Enrique Pena Nieto said 62 aftershocks followed the quake and it was possible one as strong as 7.2 could hit in the next 24 hours.
“The house moved like chewing gum and the light and internet went out momentarily,” said resident Rodrigo Soberanes, who lives near San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas.
Chiapas Governor Manuel Velasco said three people were killed in San Cristobal, including two women who died when a house and a wall collapsed. He urged people living near the coast to leave their homes as a protective measure.
“There is damage to hospitals that have lost energy,” he said. “Homes, schools and hospitals have been damaged.”
Agustin Salinas/El Universal via ZUMA Wire/REX/Shutterstock
Tabasco Governor Arturo Nunez said two children died in his state. One was killed when a wall collapsed, and the other was a baby who died in a children’s hospital which lost electricity, cutting off the infant’s ventilator.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said waves of 1m above the tide level were measured off Salina Cruz, Mexico. Smaller tsunami waves were observed on the coast or measured by ocean gauges in several other places.
Chiapas Civil Defence said on its Twitter account that its personnel were in the streets aiding people and warned residents to prepare for aftershocks.
Lucy Jones, a seismologist in California who works with the US Geological Survey, said such a quake was to be expected.
“Off the west coast of Mexico is what’s called the subduction zone, the Pacific Plate is moving under the Mexican peninsula,” she said. “It’s a very flat fault, so it’s a place that has big earthquakes relatively often because of that.
“There’s likely to be a small tsunami going to the south-west. It’s not going to be coming up and affecting California or Hawaii. For tsunami generation, an 8 is relatively small.”