Thousands of homes wrecked by huge Mexican quake, death toll at 91
A man walks next to a house damaged in an earthquake that struck the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, in Ixtaltepec, Mexico, September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A massive earthquake off southern Mexico on Thursday night that killed at least 91 people damaged tens of thousands of homes and afflicted upwards of two million people in the poorer south, state officials said, as more details of the disaster emerged.
The 8.1 magnitude quake off the coast of Chiapas state was stronger than a 1985 temblor that flattened swaths of Mexico City and killed thousands. However, its greater depth and distance helped save the capital from more serious damage.
On Saturday, authorities in the southern state of Oaxaca said there were 71 confirmed fatalities there, many of them in the town of Juchitan, where the rush to bury victims crowded a local cemetery at the weekend.
Mario Castro explains how he survived with his son inside his house destroyed by the earthquake that struck the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, in Ixtaltepec, Mexico, September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso
Another death was confirmed in neighboring Chiapas late on Sunday, bringing the total there to 16, a spokesman for local emergency services said. A further four deaths have also been registered in Tabasco state to the north.
Television footage from parts of Oaxaca showed small homes and buildings completely leveled by the quake, which struck the narrowest portion of Mexico on the isthmus of Tehuantepec.
Aftershocks continued into Sunday, and scores of people were wary about returning to fragile buildings hammered by the initial tremor, sleeping in gardens, patios and in the open air.
A resident walks near debris and destroyed houses after an earthquake struck the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, in Juchitan, Mexico, September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido
Piles of rubble lay strewn around damaged streets, where the shock was still visible on the faces of residents.
Oaxaca Governor Alejandro Murat told Mexican television the quake hit 41 municipalities and had likely affected around one in five of the state's 4 million-strong population.
"We're talking about more than 800,000 people who potentially lost everything, and some their loved ones," he said on Sunday.
A resident walks near debris and destroyed houses after an earthquake struck the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, in Juchitan, Mexico, September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido
In Juchitan alone, more than 5,000 homes were destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of Mexicans were temporarily left without electricity or water, and many in the south were evacuated from coastal dwellings when the quake sparked tsunami warnings.
In Chiapas, some 41,000 houses were damaged, governor Manuel Velasco said, estimating nearly 1.5 million people were affected.
President Enrique Pena Nieto declared three days of national mourning and pledged to rebuild shattered towns and villages.
A rescue worker marks debris in the city of Juchitan, after an earthquake struck the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, in Mexico September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido
However, some residents interviewed expressed frustration that the poor southern regions were still not getting the help they needed from the richer north and center of Mexico.
(Reporting by Dave Graham and Veronica Gomez; Editing by Sandra Maler and Paul Tait)
Humberto Cruz stands inside his house destroyed by the earthquake that struck the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, in Ixtaltepec, Mexico, September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos JassoAn image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is seen on the wall of a house destroyed by the earthquake that struck the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, in Ixtaltepec, Mexico, September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso Relatives mourn on top of the coffin of police officer Juan Jimenez, who was a victim of the earthquake that struck the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, during his burial in Juchitan, Mexico, September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos JassoWomen queue for donated food given by volunteers after an earthquake that struck the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, in Ixtaltepec, Mexico, September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos JassoA child eats donated food given by volunteers after an earthquake that struck the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, in Ixtaltepec, Mexico, September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso Relatives mourn near the coffin of police officer Juan Jimenez, who was a victim of the earthquake that struck the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, during his burial in Juchitan, Mexico, September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos JassoA member of the Mexican Navy stands next to a rescue dog after an earthquake struck on the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, in Juchitan, Mexico, September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Edgard GarridoResidents stand next to a house destroyed by the earthquake that struck the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, in Ixtaltepec, Mexico, September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos JassoA resident stands near an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe and debris after an earthquake struck the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, in Juchitan, Mexico, September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Edgard GarridoFurniture is seen in a street after an earthquake struck the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, in Juchitan, Mexico, September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Edgard GarridoA woman cries near the lowered coffin of police officer Juan Jimenez, who was a victim of the earthquake that struck the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, during his burial in Juchitan, Mexico, September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos JassoRelatives react during the burial of police officer Juan Jimenez, who was a victim of the earthquake that struck the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, in Juchitan, Mexico September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos JassoWomen hug while standing next to a destroyed house after an earthquake struck the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, in Union Hidalgo, Mexico September 9, 2017. REUTERS/Jorge Luis Plata Furniture is seen in a street after an earthquake struck the southern coast of Mexico late on Thursday, in Juchitan, Mexico, September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
