Mexico Just Got Rocked by a Third Earthquake

Posted 9-25-17

Mexico was slammed by yet another earthquake on Saturday. It hit near Juchitan, Oaxaca.

The country is still on its knees after two other, larger quakes shook the region. According to reports, some 400 people are dead while many more are missing. While it hasn’t been announced yet, it’s likely that the most recent quake will only add to the toll.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the new tremblor was measured at magnitude 6.1. It struck 11 miles southeast of Matias Romero in Oaxaca, and was extraordinarily shallow–just 5.5 miles below the earth’s surface. Anything under 40 miles deep is considered shallow and considerably increases the likelihood of damage.

On September 7th, Oaxaca state was hammered by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake, causing widespread damage and death. Then, on September 19th, another struck near Mexico City, killing an estimated 216 people in Mexico City and in the states of Puebla, Mexico, and Morelos.

According to locals in the area, there have been multiple aftershocks over the last few weeks. “Since Sept. 7 it has not stopped shaking,” said Nataniel Hernandez said to CNN. Saturday’s earthquake was felt as far away as Mexico City. While no new damage has been reported yet, rescue efforts from the September 19th quake have been suspended until authorities can determine whether it’s safe to continue.

We’ll have more on this as the story develops.