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7.5 magnitude earthquake jolts Mexico; 5 dead

WION Web Team
MexicoUpdated: Jun 24, 2020, 07:25 AM IST
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2017 earthquake victims living in makeshift or quake-damaged homes. Photograph:(Reuters)

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The country experienced aftershocks several hours after the quake, reports said, but there was no large scale damage reported

A powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake jolted Mexico on Tuesday with its epicentre near Crucecita, in the southeastern state of Oaxaca. The quake left 5 people dead.

The Mexican Seismological Service said the earthquake measured 7.5, although the US Geological Survey said it was 7.4 on Richter scale.

"It's confirmed it was a 7.5 magnitude. Fortunately, there's no damage, in any case we're going to continue to call for caution as there may be aftershocks and we must all take care without worrying," said President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said, adding," strategic installations didn't suffer any damage, that is to say, ports, airports, refineries, hydroelectric plants, everything is in a good condition."

The country experienced aftershocks several hours after the quake, reports said, but there was no large scale damage reported in the country. The US Pacific Tsunami had warned of hazardous waves in the 1,000 kilometre radius of the quake's epicentre, but it later said the threat had passed.

Mexico was hit by a major earthquake in 2017 in which 360 people were killed, in the same year 96 people were killed when an 8.1 magnitude quake hit the southern region.

Mexico is in the midst of a battle against coronavirus and has recorded 22,500 deaths and 185,000 infected cases. The death toll in Mexico due to the virus is the second largest in Latin America after Brazil.