Mexico City, Jan 3 (IANS) Two people died and 12 others were injured after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck southern Mexico, local authorities said.
A 50-year-old woman was killed after her home collapsed in the state of Guerrero on Friday, the epicenter of the earthquake, said Evelyn Salgado, the state’s governor.
In addition, a man in his 60s died after stumbling and losing consciousness in Benito Juarez municipality, Mexico City, during an evacuation prompted by the earthquake, Xinhua news agency reported quoting an official statement from the municipality.
Clara Brugada, head of government of Mexico City, said on X that after activating the earthquake response protocol, the latest report indicated 12 people injured, as well as 18 complaints due to a lack of electrical supply in various neighborhoods.
She added that two structures were being evaluated for risk of collapse, and 34 buildings and five homes were being inspected as a preventive measure.
President Claudia Sheinbaum was forced to evacuate the presidential palace during her regular morning press conference.
Mexico’s National Seismological Service said the quake occurred at 7:58 a.m. local time (1358 GMT), with the epicenter located about 4 km southwest of San Marcos in the southern state of Guerrero, at a depth of approximately 5 km.
In Mexico City, loudspeakers on the streets broadcast a seismic alert several seconds before the tremors were felt.
–IANS
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