Mexico Earthquake Magnitude 6.5: Casualties

Mexico Earthquake Magnitude 6.5: Casualties
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz, sending shockwaves that were felt more than 366 miles away in Mexico City. The epicenter was located near Las Choapas, a town of about 83,000 residents about 370 miles (600 kilometers) southeast of Mexico City. The quake was felt in several cities, including Mexico City, where many people left residences and office buildings as a precaution.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the temblor, which occurred at 8:11 a.m. local time, was centered offshore about 91 miles southeast of Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. The buildings affected for a few seconds in the capital and the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, the people from their homes and school children gathered in the playground ran out.

Evaluations of damage in all 212 of Veracruz’s cities are being conducted, the emergency management office said, adding that the quake did not damage any strategic facilities, such as oil refineries and petrochemical complexes. Bernabe Hernandez Perez, head of civil protection in Las Choapas said that near the epicenter, cracks in walls forced the evacuation of one elementary school.