Update: Death Toll from Puebla State Earthquake Climbs Above 220
Category: Natural Disasters
Severity: 4 (High)
Source: Drum Cussac
09/20/2017 (Mexico) - Media reports on Wednesday, 20 September, indicate that the number of confirmed fatalities from the 7.1 magnitude earthquake which struck Puebla state has risen to at least 226. Dozens of other people are believed to remain missing after buildings collapsed in Mexico City and surrounding towns and cities. According to local authorities, the death toll includes at least 55 fatalities in Morelos state, 39 in Puebla state, 12 in Mexico state, three in Guerrero state and 117 fatalities in Mexico City. The number of fatalities is expected to increase in the medium term as recovery efforts continue. The earthquake also caused significant damage to local infrastructure including electricity and communications networks and water supplies. In Mexico City, around two million people are reported to be without power. A number of gas mains are also reported to have been damaged, increasing the risk of post-earthquake fires, and people have been ordered to avoid smoking in the vicinity of damaged buildings. The collapsed buildings in the capital are believed to include a six-storey residential block, a supermarket, a factory, and the Enrique Rebsamen school in the Coapa district where at least 22 people are currently known to have been killed with dozens more missing. A state of emergency has reportedly been declared in the affected region with military personnel deployed to assist with rescue efforts.
Those in the affected region are advised to familiarise themselves with emergency protocols and remain mindful of potential aftershocks. Travellers should monitor local media reports for further updates on emergency response operations in their area and heed all directives issued by local authorities. Those in other parts of Mexico are advised to avoid non-essential travel to the affected region in the immediate to medium term due to the ongoing emergency response operations and infrastructural damage. Those scheduled to travel to or via Mexico City International Airport (MEX) in the medium term should contact their travel providers to ascertain the status of their journeys.
Copyright © 2024 Drum Cussac
Related
News Alerts and Safety Profiles are provided strictly for informational purposes and contain the best available data at the time of writing. While every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy, the information in this report has not been independently verified and HTH Worldwide therefore accepts no responsibility or liability for any inaccuracies in such information and any such liability is expressly denied, and no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made. Documents may be amended or withdrawn at any time without cause.