Powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocks Mexico; at least five dead - AOL
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MEXICO CITY (AP) — A powerful earthquake centered near the southern Mexico resort of Huatulco on Tuesday killed at least five people, swayed buildings in Mexico City and sent thousands fleeing into the streets.
Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said one person was killed in a building collapse in Huatulco, Oaxaca. Otherwise he said reports were of minor damage from the magnitude 7.4 quake, including broken windows and collapsed walls. Oaxaca Gov. Alejandro Murat said a second person was killed in an apparent house collapse in the mountain village of San Juan Ozolotepec and a third died in circumstances he did not explain.
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7.4-magnitude earthquake rocks Mexico
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People embrace on he street as they wait for the all-clear to return to their apartment after an earthquake in Mexico City, Tuesday, June 23, 2020. The earthquake struck near the Huatulco resort in the Oaxaca state on Tuesday morning, swayed buildings in Mexico City and sent thousands fleeing into the streets. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Security tape alert people of a building damaged by an earthquake in Oaxaca, Mexico, Tuesday, June 23, 2020. The earthquake was centered near the resort of Huatulco, in the southern state of Oaxaca. (AP Photo/Luis Alberto Cruz Hernandez)
Un policía permanece de pie el martes 23 de junio de 2020 frente a una construcción que sufrió daños tras un terremoto en Oaxaca, México. (AP Foto/Luis Alberto Cruz Hernández)
A man removes rubble from a building damaged by an earthquake in Oaxaca, Mexico, Tuesday, June 23, 2020. (AP Photo/Luis Alberto Cruz Hernandez)
Una zona es acordonada luego de que un edificio resultó dañado por un sismo en Oaxaca, México, el martes 23 de junio de 2020. (AP Foto/Luis Alberto Cruz Hernandez)
People react after a 7.7 earthquake in Oaxaca, Mexico, Tuesday, June 23, 2020. The earthquake centered near the resort of Huatulco in southern Mexico swayed buildings in Mexico City and sent thousands into the streets. (AP Photo/Luis Alberto Cruz Hernandez)
La cinta de seguridad rodea un edificio dañado por un terremoto en Oaxaca, México, martes 23 de junio de 2020. (AP Foto/Luis Alberto Cruz Hernandez)
Gente se sostiene contra una pared durante un sismo de 7,5 en Ciudad de México, martes 23 de junio de 2020. El temblor tuvo su epicentro cerca del balneario de Huatulco, Oaxaca, sur de México. (AP Foto/Fernando Llano)
OAXACA, June 23, 2020 -- Photo taken on June 23, 2020 shows debris on a street after an earthquake in Oaxaca, Mexico. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 jolted 12 km SSW of Santa Maria Zapotitlan of Mexico at 15:29:05 GMT on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. (Xinhua via Getty) (Xinhua/[e]STR via Getty Images)
OAXACA , June 23, 2020 -- Photo taken on June 23, 2020 shows debris on a street after an earthquake in Oaxaca, Mexico. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 jolted 12 km SSW of Santa Maria Zapotitlan of Mexico at 15:29:05 GMT on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. (Xinhua via Getty) (Xinhua/[e]STR via Getty Images)
MEXICO CITY,MEXICO - JUNE 23, 2020: Health workers evacuate a patient from the Alvaro Obregon Hospital due the magnitude 7.5 earthquake amid covid-19 pandemic on June 23, 2020 in Mexico City, Mexico. Crucecita, Oaxaca was the epicenter of the earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 Richter scale that caused minor damage in the country- PHOTOGRAPH BY Leonardo Casas / Eyepix Group/ Barcroft Studios / Future Publishing (Photo credit should read Leonardo Casas / Eyepix Group/Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
MEXICO CITY,MEXICO - JUNE 23, 2020:Health workers evacuate patients from the Alvaro Obregon Hospital due the magnitude 7.5 earthquake amid covid-19 pandemic on June 23, 2020 in Mexico City, Mexico. Crucecita, Oaxaca was the epicenter of the earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 Richter scale that caused minor damage in the country- PHOTOGRAPH BY Leonardo Casas / Eyepix Group/ Barcroft Studios / Future Publishing (Photo credit should read Leonardo Casas / Eyepix Group/Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
MEXICO CITY,MEXICO - JUNE 23, 2020: Tlalpan neighbors was evacuated during the earthquake with magnitude 7.5 on June 23, 2020 in Mexico City, Mexico. Crucecita, Oaxaca was the epicenter of the earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 Richter scale that caused minor damage- PHOTOGRAPH BY Mariana Bae / Eyepix Group/ Barcroft Studios / Future Publishing (Photo credit should read Mariana Bae / Eyepix Group/Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
MEXICO CITY,MEXICO - JUNE 23, 2020: A building in the Roma Sur neighborhood was damaged due the magnitude 7.5 earthquake on June 23, 2020 in Mexico City, Mexico. Crucecita, Oaxaca was the epicenter of the earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 Richter scale that caused minor damage- PHOTOGRAPH BY Carlos Tischler / Eyepix Group/ Barcroft Studios / Future Publishing (Photo credit should read Carlos Tischler / Eyepix Group/Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
MEXICO CITY,MEXICO - JUNE 23, 2020: A woman cries after she was evacuated by the earthquake with magnitude 7.5 on June 23, 2020 in Mexico City, Mexico. Crucecita, Oaxaca was the epicenter of the earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 Richter scale that caused minor damage- PHOTOGRAPH BY Mariana Bae / Eyepix Group/ Barcroft Studios / Future Publishing (Photo credit should read Mariana Bae / Eyepix Group/Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
MEXICO CITY,MEXICO - JUNE 23, 2020: A woman cries after she was evacuated by the earthquake with magnitude 7.5 on June 23, 2020 in Mexico City, Mexico. Crucecita, Oaxaca was the epicenter of the earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 Richter scale that caused minor damage- PHOTOGRAPH BY Mariana Bae / Eyepix Group/ Barcroft Studios / Future Publishing (Photo credit should read Mariana Bae / Eyepix Group/Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
MEXICO CITY,MEXICO - JUNE 23, 2020: A woman cries after she was evacuated by the earthquake with magnitude 7.5 on June 23, 2020 in Mexico City, Mexico. Crucecita, Oaxaca was the epicenter of the earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 Richter scale that caused minor damage- PHOTOGRAPH BY Mariana Bae / Eyepix Group/ Barcroft Studios / Future Publishing (Photo credit should read Mariana Bae / Eyepix Group/Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
OAXACA, MEXICO - JUNE 23: An inside view of a building with cracked walls and damaged interior parts after a magnitude-7.5 earthquake trembled Mexico's southern Oaxaca state on June 23, 2020. The Seismic Institute said the quake struck at 10.29 a.m. local time (1529GMT). (Photo by Max Nunez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
OAXACA, MEXICO - JUNE 23: Landslide rocks block a road in Santa Maria Huatulco after a magnitude-7.5 earthquake trembled Mexico's southern Oaxaca state on June 23, 2020. The Seismic Institute said the quake struck at 10.29 a.m. local time (1529GMT). (Photo by Max Nunez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
OAXACA, MEXICO - JUNE 23: Workers remove landslide rocks blocking a road in Santa Maria Huatulco after a magnitude-7.5 earthquake trembled Mexico's southern Oaxaca state on June 23, 2020. The Seismic Institute said the quake struck at 10.29 a.m. local time (1529GMT). (Photo by Max Nunez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
23 June 2020, Mexico, Crucecita: Broken tiles are lying on the ground after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake, the center of which was located 23 kilometers south of the town of Crucecita in the state of Oaxaca at a depth of five kilometers. Photo: Carlos Ramos/dpa (Photo by Carlos Ramos/picture alliance via Getty Images)
23 June 2020, Mexico, Crucecita: Broken tiles are lying on the ground after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake, the center of which was located 23 kilometers south of the town of Crucecita in the state of Oaxaca at a depth of five kilometers. Photo: Carlos Ramos/dpa (Photo by Carlos Ramos/picture alliance via Getty Images)
23 June 2020, Mexico, Crucecita: Broken tiles are lying on the road after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake, the centre of the quake 23 kilometres south of the village of Crucecita. The earthquake was also felt in Mexico City. (Best possible quality.) Photo: Carlos Ramos/dpa (Photo by Carlos Ramos/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Security tape alerts people of a damaged building after a quake in Oaxaca, Mexico on June 23, 2020. - A 7.1 magnitude quake was registered Tuesday in the south of Mexico, according to the Mexican National Seismological Service. (Photo by PATRICIA CASTELLANOS / AFP) (Photo by PATRICIA CASTELLANOS/AFP via Getty Images)
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Federal civil defense authorities reported two more deaths: a worker at the state-run oil company, Pemex, fell to his death from a refinery structure, and a man died in the Oaxaca village of San Agustin Amatengo when a wall fell on him.
Pemex also said the quake caused a fire at its refinery in the Pacific coast city of Salina Cruz, relatively near the epicenter. It said one worker was injured and the flames were quickly extinguished. Churches, bridges and highways also suffered damage during the quake.
López Obrador said there had been more than 140 aftershocks, most of them small.
Seismic alarms sounded midmorning with enough warning for residents to exit buildings. Power was knocked out to some areas.
Helicopters flew over downtown Mexico City and police patrols sounded their sirens.
Groups of people still milled around in close proximity on streets and sidewalks in some neighborhoods of the capital about an hour after the quake. Many were not wearing masks despite past appeals from municipal officials for them to do so as a way to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
Inside a Mexico City military barracks converted to COVID-19 hospital, medical staff suited in protective equipment tried to calm anxious patients. Unable to evacuate isolation areas, patients huddled under a large beam in the women's ward while a nurse tried to calm one having a panic attack.
Teresa Juárez could only wish for it to pass quickly from her hospital bed where she lay connected to oxygen. Diabetic and with high blood pressure, Juárez said she thought about her five children. “It's horrible, you're here and you don't know what to do,” she said.
The U.S. Geologic Survey said the quake hit at 10:29 a.m. (11:29 a.m. Eastern) along Mexico's southern Pacific coast at a depth of 16 miles (26 km). The epicenter was 7 miles (12 km) south-southwest of Santa Maria Zapotitlan in Oaxaca state
It was felt in Guatemala and throughout south and central Mexico.
In Huatulco, a laid-back beach destination known for surfing and small protected coves, the earthquake knocked goods off shelves and some rubble from buildings.
Mari González of the Princess Mayev hotel in Huatulco said staff and guests were able to evacuate the building before the quake, but that 45 minutes after the initial quake they were still outside as strong aftershocks continued.
“It was strong, very strong,” she said.
González said there was some visible broken glass and mirrors, but no major damage. The staff was waiting for the aftershocks to dissipate before fully evaluating the property.
Local news media reported damage to some buildings in the state capital, Oaxaca city. State officials said they were looking for damage.
The USGS estimated that some 2 million people felt strong or moderate shaking and another 49 million felt weak or light shaking.
The earthquake hit a quake-prone region where four underground tectonic plates come together. In the past 35 years, there have been at least seven magnitude 7 or greater earthquakes, killing around 10,000 people — most of them in a 1985 8.0 quake.
“This has the potential to be a deadly earthquake and cause significant damage,” U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Paul Earle said. “This area is capable of and has had larger earthquakes in the past.”
“There will be aftershocks,” Earle said. “It is not unexpected to see a magnitude 6 at this point and a number of smaller ones.”
This quake happened when the Cocos plate, which is to the southwest of the area, slipped under the North American plate, Earle said.
“You’ve got all sorts of plates and they’re moving quickly,” Earle said. “The important thing is how fast the plates are moving relative to each other.”
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Associated Press writers Chris Torchia in Mexico City and Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report.
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