Mexico Hit by 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake

Mexico: A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the southern Mexican coastal city of Acapulco in Guerrero state on Tuesday night, killing at least one person, according to officials.

Buildings in Mexico City trembled and swayed, causing tremors hundreds of kilometres distant, according to the Xinhua news agency on Wednesday.

The earthquake struck around 8.47 p.m. local time (0147 GMT Wednesday) 11 kilometres southwest of Acapulco, at a depth of 10 kilometres, according to the National Seismological Service.

Guerrero State Governor Hector Astudillo Flores told local television that a man was killed after a light post fell on him in the town of Coyuca de Benitez.

According to the state’s Civil Protection Agency, the tremor caused rock falls and landslides on roadways.

Authorities in Guerrero and neighbouring Michoacan, Jalisco, Mexico City, and other locations reported no severe damage.

People raced to the streets in Mexico City as the tremor was felt powerfully, followed by power disruptions.

Elsa Ramirez, an impromptu trader, was driving home when she heard the earthquake alarm.

“What a scare! It was quite powerful! The light cables on top were about to fall off, I thought “While seeking refuge outside a shop, she said Xinhua.

Claudia Sheinbaum, the mayor of the city, issued a social media appeal to citizens to remain calm.

“There have been three flyovers and no damage has been found. I just spoke with the president and gave him this information. We know that there are many places without electricity, I ask everyone to be very calm,” she said.

The earthquake struck at 16.78 degrees north latitude and minus 99.93 degrees west longitude, according to the agency, which is dependent on the Institute of Geophysics of Mexico’s National Autonomous University. Due to the collision of five tectonic plates: the North American plate, the Cocos plate, the Pacific plate, the Rivera plate, and the Caribbean plate, Mexico is in an area of intense seismicity.