7.0 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Mexico, Killing At Least One Person

Aftermath of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Acapulco
Aftermath of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Acapulco

David Guzman/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Mexico Tuesday night, killing at least one person and leaving over one million without power.

The earthquake, which hit 11 miles northeast of the coastal city of Acapulco, was felt over 230 miles away in the country's capital, Mexico City, where residents fled into the streets, The Washington Post reports.

In a video message posted to Twitter Tuesday, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said no significant damage had been reported from the earthquake. Some Acapulco hotels experienced structural damage, with toppled pillars, and the quake sent concrete crumbling to the ground.

Guerrero state Gov. Hector Astudillo told Milenio Television Tuesday that one person had been killed in the earthquake when a post fell on them in the town of Coyuca de Benitez, which is 30 miles northeast of Acapulco, per The Associated Press.

Aftermath of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Acapulco
Aftermath of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Acapulco

CHINE NOUVELLE/SIPA/Shutterstock

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According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Tuesday's earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 and a depth of 20 kilometers (12 miles), which is considered to be shallow.

Acapulco resident Sergio Flores told the AP he saw people fleeing hotels and rushing to move their cars when the quake first hit.

"We heard loud noise from the building, noise from the windows, things fell inside the house, the power went out," Flores said. "We heard leaking water, the water went out of the pool and you heard people screaming, very nervous people."

Before the first casualty was reported, Acapulco Mayor Adela Román said in a statement to Milenio that "there is no really serious situation" in the city, according to the outlet.

Aftermath of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Acapulco
Aftermath of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Acapulco

AP Photo/ Bernardino Hernandez

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"There are nervous breakdowns; people are worried because there have been aftershocks," she said, but added that there were "many gas leaks in many places," in addition to landslides and fallen walls.

In Mexico City, some residents felt the ground shake for nearly a minute, according to the AP. One resident told Reuters the quake reminded her of a devastating natural disaster that struck the city over 35 years ago.

"It was terrible. It really reminds me of the 1985 quake every time something like this happens," said Yesmin Rizk, a 70-year-old resident living in Mexico City's Roma Sur neighborhood.

Aftermath of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Acapulco
Aftermath of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Acapulco

Bernardino Hernandez/AP/Shutterstock

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The 1985 earthquake killed over 10,000 and injured 30,000 residents, also leaving nearly a quarter of a million people homeless, according to History.com.

Tuesday's earthquake happened four years to the day after Mexico experienced a similar natural disaster, when an 8.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Chiapas. The 2017 quake killed dozens and ripped through the town of Juchitan, leaving major damage in its wake.