Earthquakes in Mexico

On Sept. 9, a magnitude-8.1 earthquake struck southern Mexico off the Pacific coast of the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas, killing 90 people in Mexico and one in Guatemala. It was the largest earthquake in Mexico in more than a century. 

On Sept. 19, a 7.1-magnitude quake struck central Mexico, 75 miles south of Mexico City, collapsing a number of buildings in the capital. As of press time, at least 305 people had been declared dead, with many still missing. 

The Sept. 19 quake came on the 32nd anniversary of an earthquake that killed 10,000 people in Mexico. Because of that anniversary, an earthquake drill was held in Mexico City. The quake struck shortly afterward, and not long after that, a minor eruption occurred at nearby Popocatépetl Volcano, and it is believed to have been triggered by the quake.

A 6.1-magnitude earthquake, an aftershock of the Sept. 9 quake, struck Oaxaca on Sept. 23. It was felt in Mexico City, halting rescue efforts there. Some already damaged buildings and a bridge collapsed in Oaxaca, but there were no further reports of casualties.