Earthquake in Mexico: Magnitude 4.2 earthquake in Salina Cruz, Oaxaca

Salina Cruz was the epicenter of a magnitude 4.2 quake which surprised residents of the state of Oaxaca today at 7:58 a.m. local time (1:58 p.m. UTC).

The earthquake occurred 129 km southeast of the city and had a depth of 16.1 kmaccording to preliminary information from the National Seismological Service (SSN).

In the event of significant seismic activity, the The National Center for Disaster Reduction (Cenapred) recommends not to fall into the trap of rumors or fake news and to get information only from official sourcessuch as civil protection authorities, both local and state, as well as federal.

after an earthquake, check your house for research possible damage, only use your mobile phone in an emergency, do not light matches or candles until you make sure there are no gas leaks and remember that there may be aftershocks of the earthquakeit is therefore important to be vigilant.

You can also take the following actions before an earthquake: prepare a civil security plan, participate in evacuation drills, find safety zones home, school or workplace and prepare a emergency backpack.

during an earthquake keep calm and stay in a safe zone, stay away from falling objects; if you are in a vehicle, park and move away from buildings, trees and poles; and if you find yourself on the coast, move away from the beach and take refuge in height.

Mexico is located in an area of ​​high geological activity, which exposes you to the constant risk of suffering this type of event. Proof of the above, the earthquakes of 1985 and 2017, which caused great damage, were however not the most important in the history of the country, although they are one of the most present in the memory of nationals and foreigners.

During the colonial period, it happened the strongest earthquake recorded in the history of what is now Mexico. arrived on On March 28, 1787, its epicenter was in Oaxaca, it had a magnitude of 8.6. The movement was so violent that it not only shook the earth, but also caused a tsunami that reached 6 kilometers inland.

According to a study by the Center for Instrumentation and Seismic Recording (Cires) carried out in 2009 on the earthquake of March 28, 1787, large earthquakes with magnitudes of 8.6 or more could occur in the next few years. These will have as their epicenter the coasts of Mexico and Central America, since they are located in the Guerrero Gap, which accumulates a large amount of energy.

But even smaller earthquakes can cause significant damage. Examples of the above were the seismic events of 1985 and 2017. On these occasions, the lives of Mexico City residents were turned upside down, while the government and citizens rebuilt buildings and infrastructure.

As for the one in 1985, it happened on September 19 of that year at 7:19 a.m. local time (1:19 p.m. UTC), with its epicenter in the state of Guerrero and a magnitude of 8.2. Since then, it was believed that nothing like this would happen again, but coincidentally it happened again exactly 32 years later.

In 2017, it happened at 1:14 p.m. local time (6:30 p.m. UTC), with its epicenter in an area between the states of Puebla and Morelos. Then the death toll reached 369.