Mexico City Earthquake: One dead, 13 Treated at the Scene, After 6.5 Tremor

Mexico City — A magnitude 6.5 earthquake, with its epicenter in San Marcos, Guerrero, shook the capital at 7:58 a.m. yesterday.

The seismic movement, which activated the earthquake alert on 98% of the C5 loudspeakers, resulted in the death of an elderly man in Benito Juárez, in addition to damage to facades, fallen ceilings at the airport, and cuts in the power supply.

The borough and the Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSC) confirmed the death of a 67-year-old man in the Álamos neighborhood.

The victim was evacuating his apartment on the second floor of a building on Obrero Mundial Street when he suffered a possible cardiorespiratory arrest that led to a fall down the stairs. Red Cross paramedics and the CRUM confirmed the absence of vital signs at the scene.

The Head of Government, Clara Brugada, initially reported 12 injured people, although the 2:00 p.m. report from Civil Protection specified that they were essentially 13 cases of nervous crisis treated on-site without the need for hospital transfers.

Material Damage

In the Cuauhtémoc borough, a building at the intersection of Paseo de la Reforma and Río Guadiana was cordoned off after part of its facade detached.

Additionally, assessments were carried out in the Roma Sur neighborhood and in the Nonoalco Tlatelolco Housing Unit, where the Michoacán, ISSSTE 10, and Ignacio Ramírez buildings presented superficial detachments, while the Veracruz building registered falling blocks.

In the Álvaro Obregón borough, cracks were reported in the El Cuernito Community Development Center, a library in the Tlacuitlapa neighborhood, and a gym in Alta Tensión, although in the latter structural risk was ruled out.

The Secretariat of Housing ruled out damage to the 223 works of the 19S reconstruction program.

Service Disruptions

The earthquake caused the fall of five poles, four trees, and faults in 44 transformers, which generated power outages.

By 6:00 p.m., Brugada reported that, in coordination with the CFE, 98% of the power supply had been restored.

An incident due to these failures caused a fire on Artículo 123 Street, which was extinguished by firefighters without leaving any injuries.

At the Mexico City International Airport, Terminal 1 reported fallen ceilings and broken windows, although authorities clarified that operations were not interrupted.

The La Raza Hospital of the IMSS also registered superficial ceiling falls.

Between Anguish and Evacuation

The earthquake on the morning of January 2 not only activated the seismic alert and civil protection protocols in the capital, but also left scenes already familiar after seismic movements: people in pajamas, carrying their pets, and gathered in streets and on sidewalks while the movement shook the buildings.

In Santa Fe, in the Cuajimalpa borough, dozens of neighbors evacuated the residential complexes in the area.

“It felt strong,” said Santiago, 30 years old, who left his apartment along with other residents, some still sleepy and others with their pets in their arms.

Not everyone managed to go down; in towers of more than 20 floors, several opted to take shelter in areas considered safe.

“I had already forgotten how earthquakes feel,” said Daniela, 32 years old, who recently moved to Canada and returned to the city to spend the year-end holidays.

In nearby neighborhoods of the Álvaro Obregón borough, such as Villa Verdún, Bosques de Tarango, and Las Águilas, neighbors assure that the scare from the tremor, which had its epicenter in San Marcos, Guerrero, was double.

“The first was hearing the seismic alert so loudly on the cell phone; the second, the movement, which was felt strongly here,” recounted Rodolfo, 79 years old, a neighbor of Villa Verdún.

He said the earthquake surprised them on the second floor of their home, so he and his wife decided to take shelter in the door frames.

The reactions were also reflected on various social networks, where several users reported anxiety crises in people and pets.