On June 23, people in Mexico woke up to the news of six killed in an earthquake in southern Mexico. An earthquake of 7.4 magnitude shook southern Mexico. The powerful earthquake hit the pacific coast of Mexico on Tuesday. The earthquake ended up causing a lot of destruction. As per reports, six people have lost their lives due to the earthquake. A lot of other people suffered grievous injuries. Many of them located in hard to reach isolated villages. A lot of buildings saw severe damage. The effects of this earthquake were felt as far away as Mexico cities which is over a hundred miles away. Some buildings in Mexico City too witnessed great damage.
Location of the Six Killed in Earthquake in South Mexico
The people who died were close to the earthquake’s epicenter. The epicenter was in the mountainous state of Oaxaca as per Mexican authorities. This state is famous for its mescal, coffee, and colonial Spanish architecture. People were seen anxiously standing outside in La Crucecita which is a resort town on the Pacific coast. People stood outdoors even hours after the earthquake fearing deadly aftershocks.
One of the six people who died was a worker from Pemex, which is a state-owned oil company in Oaxaca. He fell from a height due to the earthquake at Mexico’s largest oil refinery. There was a fire at the refinery so it was temporarily closed.
Houses and Buildings Damaged in Oaxaca
The houses in the area had wide cracks that were clearly visible. People tried to clear the debris from the roads and lanes. 30 houses saw severe damage due to the earthquake. Overall, 200 houses saw some form of damage. Vicente Romero says that they lost everything due to nature in just one moment. His house has severe structural damage. He owns a stationery store and has now lost his life’s work.
Oaxaca city is the state’s capital. It got cut off from the coast due to rockfalls. These rockfalls clogged the winding roads cutting through the mountains that lead to Oaxaca city. Santa Catarina Xanaguia, which is a remote mountainous village was right near the epicenter. Three people here suffered grievous injuries. Worse still, the earthquake caused landslides that cut off this settlement form the rest of Mexico. Rescue workers had to fight for hours just to get to this place. In this remote settlement, homes were broken and segments of the mountainside had come down. Old churches and a clinic close to the epicenter saw some serious damage.
Mexico City was also hit
Hundreds of miles away, Mexico City too felt the buildings shake and people ran out into the streets. Over 30 buildings suffered damage and two people suffered injuries. These 30 buildings also included buildings that were damaged by a massive earthquake in 2017. Buildings shook and water tanks broke.
Final Thoughts
The epicenter was near Pochutla, about 69 km to the northeast of it. It was 26 kms deep into the earth which made things worse. Earthquakes of 7 or above magnitudes cause severe damage.
