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MEXICO CITY, Sept 19 (Reuters) – A powerful earthquake struck western Mexico on Monday on the anniversary of two devastating aftershocks, shaking buildings, cutting power and sending Mexico City residents into the streets for safety
Shortly after 1 p.m. (1800 GMT), the 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck near the coast in the border region of Michoacan and Colima states at a depth of about 15 km (9 miles), it said the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said there were no immediate reports of damage in the capital after the tremors, which struck Mexico on the same day as major earthquakes struck the country in 1985 and 2017.
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“It’s this date, there’s something about the 19th,” said Ernesto Lanzetta, a businessman in the city’s Cuauhtémoc neighborhood. “The 19th is a day to fear.”
Power was cut in parts of the capital’s central Roma area, hundreds of kilometers (miles) northeast of the epicenter. Local residents with pets stood outside, while tourists visiting a local market with a local guide were visibly confused and upset.
Traffic lights stopped working and people picked up their phones, texting or waiting for calls to come through.
Thousands of people died in the September 19, 1985 earthquake, and more than 350 died in the September 19, 2017 earthquake.
The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for parts of the coast of Mexico, saying waves of 1 to 3 meters (3 to 9 feet) above sea level were possible. the tide
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Report from the Mexico City newsroom; written by Dave Graham; edited by Stephen Eisenhammer and Sandra Maler
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