An earthquake in Mexico has killed at least 58 people and sparked a tsunami

The death toll from the powerful earthquake that rocked Mexico has risen to 58, including two children and sparking a tsunami.

The governor of Tabasco state Arturo Nunez said that one child died when a wall collapsed, and a baby died in a children’s hospital that lost electricity, cutting off the supply to the infant’s ventilator.

Mystery blue and green lights flash in night sky after Mexico City earthquake

It was the most powerful earthquake to hit the country in 32 years and sparked widespread panic.

It was so strong that it could be felt significantly in Mexico City, 650 miles away from the epicentre and caused a 2.3ft tsunami. In Salina Cruz another tsunami wave measuring 3.3ft was recorded.




Authorities in Mexico say that a hotel in Oaxaca has collapsed in the major earthquake that hit the country, but no one has been reported dead.

Civil Defense photos showed the crumbling facade of the Anel hotel in Matias Romero and split in half. President Enrique Pena Nieto said no one was reported dead at the hotel.

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A baby died when power to its ventilator was cut

Another child was killed by a collapsing wall

Officials said that it was the strongest quake to hit the capital since the 1985 tremor that killed thousands and flattened swathes of Mexico City.

However, after being upgraded to magnitude 8.4 it became the strongest on record since a quake in 1787 that created a tsunami 60ft tall.

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Today’s earthquake struck around 650 miles away from Mexico City and sparked at 2.3ft tsunami.

The epicentre was 76 miles southwest of the town of Pijijiapan in the southern state of Chiapas, at a revised depth of 43 miles.

It struck at 11.49pm local time when many people will have been sleeping.

‘The house moved like chewing gum and the light and internet went out momentarily,’ said Rodrigo Soberanes, who lives near San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas, a poor, largely indigenous state popular with tourists.

Chiapas Governor Manuel Velasco said that three people were killed in San Cristobal, including two women who died in San Cristobal when a house and a wall collapsed. He called on people living near the coast to leave their houses as a protective measure.

Emergency workers in Mexico search through the rubble after a vehicle was crushed (Picture: Rex Shutterstock)

Power is down in some parts after the earthquake which struck late at night (Picture: Rex Shutterstock)

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‘There is damage to hospitals that have lost energy,’ he said. ‘Homes, schools and hospitals have been damaged.’

Civil Defense in Chiapas said on its Twitter account that its personnel were in the streets aiding people and warned residents to prepare for aftershocks.

In neighboring Guatemala, President Jimmy Morales spoke on national television to call for calm while emergency crews checked for damage.

The worst of the damage so far appears to be in Oaxaca, Mexico (Picture: AP)

Emergency workers look through the rubble where a vehicle appeared to have been crushed (Picture: Rex Shutterstock)

Some buildings have collapsed in the quake (Picture: AP)

‘We have reports of some damage and the death of one person, even though we still don’t have details,’ Morales said. He said the unconfirmed death occurred in San Marcos state near the border with Mexico.

Lucy Jones, a seismologist in California who works with the U.S. Geological Survey, said such as quake was to be expected.

‘Off the west coast of Mexico is what’s called the subduction zone, the Pacific Plate is moving under the Mexican peninsula,’ she said. ‘It’s a very flat fault, so it’s a place that has big earthquakes relatively often because of that.’



‘There’s likely to be a small tsunami going to the southwest. It’s not going to be coming up and affecting California or Hawaii,’ she said. ‘For tsunami generation, an 8 is relatively small.’

Rubble fell from a building in Oaxaca, Mexico, following the earthquake (Picture: EPA)

At least three people have been killed after the quake hit late at night – the death toll is likely to rise (Picture: Twitter/ThinkMexican)

The damage appears to be catastrophic in some areas of the country (Picture: Twitter/ThinkMexican)

Some people had no time to gather their belongings before evacuating (Picture: Reuters)

Residents fled buildings, many in their pyjamas, and gathered in frightened groups in the street. Some neighbourhoods remained in darkness after electricity was knocked out.

There are warnings for further waves hitting Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras, Ecuador.

The risk for Hawaii, Guam and other Pacific islands is still being assessed. People ran into the streets as the quake rocked the area for around 45 seconds.

Buildings were violently by the earthquake which was initially measured as magnitude 8 and later revised to 8.2.

Patients and doctors of a hospital in Villahermosa, Mexico, remain outside after the killer quake (Picture: EPA)

Patients from an evacuated hospital pictured in Puebla (Picture: Reuters)

People ran into the streets after the quake struck late at night sparking a tsunami (Picture: Getty)

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Mysterious earthquake light flashed through the sky after the quake struck while alarms could be heard going off.

An earthquake of the size experienced in Mexico is described as severe. ‘Damage slight in specially designed structures; considerable damage in ordinary substantital buildings with partial collapse. Damage great in poorly built structures. Fall of chimneys, factory stacks, columns, monuments, walls. Heavy furniture overturned.’

Civil protection officials were checking for damage in Chiapas, 650 miles from Mexico City.

At around midnight, buildings in the capital swayed strongly for more than minute, loosening light fixings from ceilings.

Helicopters criss-crossed the sky with spotlights.

Some neighbourhoods still had electricity, but others remained in darkness.

A woman carried her dog with her into the streets in downtown Mexico City (Picture: Getty)

The quake struck late at night when many people will have been in bed (Picture: Getty)

A tsunami has been recorded following the quake out at sea (Picture: Getty)

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An early warning alarm was sounded seconds before the quake was felt and it lasted for around 45 seconds.

It is believed to have happened at a depth of around 31 miles.


The earthquake struck as Mexico faced the prospect of a hurricane hitting the country within the next few days.

Hurricane Katia has strengthened as as it heads to the east coast of the country, the National Hurricane Center said yesterday.

It is currently 185 miles east-southeast of Tampico, Mexico, and is on track to gain major hurricane strength when it eventually hits land.

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