Earthquake with magnitude of 8.2 rattles southern Mexico

The death toll raised up to 61 in the latest earthquake which hit Mexico's Southern Coast and became the most dangerous natural cause for the last century, reported by the Guardian. The magnitude of the earthquake was recorded 8.2 along the southern coast of Mexico, as the Telegraph reported. The epicenter of the quake was about 600 miles south east of Mexico city in the Pacific Ocean.

50,000 people in Mexico felt the quake

The disaster started at 23:50 local time on Thursday. According to Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, it was the strongest earthquake experienced in Mexico in past 100 years.

50,000 Mexicans felt shaking across the country. More than 9,000 people died in the earthquake which hit Mexico with 8.0 magnitude in September 1985.

President also noted that reported more than 260 aftershocks up to a magnitude of 6.1 would bring devastation, about 200 people had got injuries, so he called on the citizens to listen to public announcements and follow them.

According to experts, Mexico City was grounded on the soft soil, so it is vulnerable to earthquakes. Earthquake drills were organized in the country regularly.

The consequences of the earthquake

The disaster came when many people were sleeping on Thursday. The two Mexican states, Chiapas and Oaxaca, are situated close to the epicenter of the earthquake and they are home to 9 million people.

The tremor caused panic, people went out on streets in pajamas, running away. According to the head of Mexico’s civil protection agency, Luis Felipe Puentes, 45 victims were registered by Friday evening.

In Chiapas state, local government reported about 12 deaths. Three people died in Tabasco, among them two were children, the Guardian reported.

In Guatemala, one person died during the quake, as Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales announced.

Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power and water. According to Chiapas Gov. Manuel Velasco, many housed were damaged and their roofs were collapsed, schools in 11 stated canceled lessons. Some hospitals lost power, and one of them was collapsed, so the patients got treatment in the open air.

Chiapas’s governor Manuel Velasco called on the residents near the coast to follow the protective measure of mass evacuations. Mexico City underwent strong tremors and even traffic lights were shaking. According to the rescuers, there is a possibility that in the south of the country there are trapped people in the ruins of a hotel.