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7.1-maginitude hits Mexico on Tuesday, taking over 210 lives

7.1-maginitude hits Mexico on Tuesday, taking over 210 lives

Posted September. 21, 2017 08:33,   

Updated September. 21, 2017 08:46

한국어

A very strong earthquake took at least 210 lives on Tuesday (local time) in Mexico, where already around 90 people lost their lives at the 8.2-magnitude quake on Sept. 7. The recent shake occurred on the exact day when the 1985 Mexico City earthquake took thousands of lives 32 years ago.

According to AP News, the United States Geological Survey announced that a 7.1-maginitude earthquake shook central Mexico at 1:14 p.m. on Tuesday. The epicenter was near the Puebla state town of Raboso, 123 kilometers southeast from Mexico City. Death toll is likely grow, as the impact zone was densely populated with many ruined buildings.

 

Buildings including the City Hall, churches and schools have been seriously damaged in Mexico City. At a Mexico City school that immediately collapsed, two adults and 20 children lost their lives and 38 are missing. The Mexican federal government declared a state of disaster in Mexico City, and provided emergency funds. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto immediately ordered all hospitals to leave their doors open for the wounded, and said that 40 percent of Mexico City and 20 percent of Morelos State blacked out.

In the meanwhile, the Korean Embassy in Mexico announced on the same day that a Korean whose surname is Lee lost contact at a 5-story building in Mexico City. “According to Mr. Lee’s family, Lee could have been at the scene of accident at the time when earthquake hit Mexico City,” said the Embassy. At the current time, the Korean Embassy is working on the fate of Lee with rescue agencies and a Korean police staff.



Eun-A Cho achim@donga.com · Na-Ri Shin journari@donga.com