A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.5 shakes Mexico City and leaves at least one dead and 12 wounded
The earthquake was recorded at 07:58 am local time, according to the National Seismological Service, and had its epicenter 15 kilometers from San Marcos, near the tourist city of Acapulco, in the southwest of the country.
People leave buildings after tremor in Mexico City.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake, with its epicenter in the state of Guerrero, shook Mexico's Pacific coast and Mexico City, causing scenes of alarm and precautionary evacuations, although without preliminary reports of serious damage, authorities said.
The earthquake was recorded at 07:58 am local time, according to the National Seismological Service, and had its epicenter 15 kilometers from San Marcos, near the tourist city of Acapulco, in the southwest of the country.
A minute before the quake, the seismic alert was activated, allowing thousands of locals and tourists to evacuate buildings. In the middle of the morning of a long weekend for the start of the year, many people took to the streets still in their pajamas, visibly upset, AFP noted.
"I was still asleep and the street alarm started ringing," recounted Karen Gomez, 47, a resident of the 13th floor of a building in the Alvaro Obregon district. "The cell phone alarm, that really scared me," she added, referring to the mobile phone alert system implemented in 2025.
Journalists observed evacuations ordered in different parts of the capital. At the Londres clinic, located in the Cuauhtémoc district, doctors in gowns, nurses, patients and family members went outside as part of the security protocols.
At least one dead and several injured
Mexico City authorities reportedthe accidental death of a 60-year-old man who fell while evacuating his home during the tremor.
"The man vacated his apartment on the second floor, stumbled and lost consciousness," reported the government of the local Benito Juarez mayor's office. Upon arrival of paramedics, "he no longer had vital signs," it added.
In addition, 12 people were injured, the capital's mayor, Clara Brugada reported on the social network X.
The tremor forced the suspension of the president's morning conference Claudia Sheinbaum at the National Palace.
A city vulnerable to earthquakes
Mexico has a long and painful seismic memory. On September 19, 1985, an 8.1 magnitude earthquake devastated large areas of the capital and left 12,843 dead, according to an official count published in 2015, although civil organizations estimated more than20,000 dead.
Another quake, also on September 19, in 2017, of magnitude 7.1, caused 369 deaths, mostly in the capital.
Sophisticated early warning systems.
In the wake of these tragedies, the country has developed sophisticated early warning systems, with support from the National Seismological Service, including loudspeakers on streetlight poles and mobile apps that can give up to a minute's warning before a strong quake.
Mexico lies on the convergence of five tectonic plates, making it one of the most seismically active countries in the world, especially along the Pacific coast, from the border with Guatemala to the state of Jalisco.
LATEST
