Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador issued a tsunami warning for the coastal area near the epicenter of a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake that recently struck, resulting in at least one fatality.
The Mexican Seismic Agency reported that a 7.7 magnitude earthquake occurred at 1 PM local time on September 19, approximately 59 km from Coalcoman in the state of Michoacán, with the epicenter located at a depth of 15 km.
The National Seismological Service of Mexico adjusted the earthquake’s magnitude from 7.4 to 7.7 and has recorded 76 aftershocks to date. CNN reported that the epicenter of the strong earthquake was in a sparsely populated area of Michoacán, very close to the coast.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), intense shaking was felt in the state of Colima, about 100 km from the epicenter.
The aftershocks of the earthquake shook the capital, Mexico City, located approximately 500 km away. The earthquake warning system was activated, prompting many residents of Mexico City to flee their homes. Local news channels reported that firefighters cordoned off several buildings due to fears of collapse.
Residents of Mexico City fear during the earthquake on September 19. (Photo: Reuters)
According to the city’s mayor, Claudia Sheinbaum, there have been no reported casualties or damages in Mexico City as of now.
The Mexican president reported an initial fatality due to a sign falling from a shopping center in the Manzanillo area of Colima state. Authorities also reported damage to two hospitals in the western state of Michoacán near the epicenter.
The governor of Michoacán, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, stated that the earthquake caused only minor damage to local infrastructure. Eleven neighboring states also reported only minor infrastructural damage.
In Coalcoman, Michoacán, many buildings were damaged, but no casualties have been reported. (Photo: AP)
According to Reuters, the earthquake coincided with the anniversary of significant earthquakes in Mexico. The quake occurred shortly after many localities in Mexico conducted earthquake drills in memory of the victims of historic earthquakes that occurred on September 19 in 1985 and 2017. The 2017 earthquake resulted in 216 deaths in Mexico City, while the 1985 earthquake claimed 9,500 lives and devastated much of the capital.
Isa Montes, a 34-year-old graphic designer, described the moment of the earthquake while helicopters surveyed Mexico City: “The earthquake feels like a curse.” Ernesto Lanzetta, a business owner in the Cuauhtémoc district, remarked: “There’s something about the 19th. The 19th is a scary day.”
However, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), one of the country’s most prestigious universities, stated that there is no scientific explanation for three major earthquakes occurring on the same date and believes it is merely a coincidence.
A woman in Mexico City receives assistance amid the gathering of people outside after the strong earthquake. (Photo: AP)
Immediately following the earthquake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) forecasted that waves up to 3 meters high could hit Mexico. Tsunami waves could occur in coastal areas such as Manzanillo and Acapulco and may also impact the tourist hotspot of Puerto Vallarta.
According to PTWC, waves under 0.3 meters could also occur along the Pacific coast of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru.
