A magnitude 4.1 earthquake in the town of Cocuya de Benítez alerted Mexicans on September 19, a date that coincides with the annual rescue exercise, which also sees the most devastating earthquakes to hit Mexico.

The earthquake felt south of the Mexican capital occurred at 9:04 a.m., Mexico’s Seismological Institute said.

In this context, Mexico today carried out the second “National Seismic Simulation”, implementing for the first time four hypothetical scenarios that could occur on the national territory: two earthquakes and two hurricanes.

Commemoration of past earthquakes

This Tuesday, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador commemorated the earthquakes of September 19, 1985 and 2017, the two most devastating in the country’s recent history and which occurred on the same date.

The president witnessed the raising of the Mexican flag in Mexico City’s Zócalo, where he also sang the national anthem and paid national honors in memory of the tens of thousands of victims of both earthquakes.

Matching date

The memory of the 1985 and 2017 earthquakes shocks Mexicans because they were the most devastating and occurred on the same date.

He The most devastating earthquake occurred on September 19, 1985when a magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck central, southern and western Mexico at 7:17 local time (12:17 GMT) with its epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, at the mouth of the Balsas River, at the state’s coast from Michoacan.

Although the the official death toll was 3,192, many deaths remained uncountedso specialists estimate that there were actually more than 20,000.

32 years later, just on the anniversary of the 1985 earthquake, Mexico suffered the second most destructive earthquake in its recent history at 1:14 p.m. local time (6:14 p.m. GMT), shortly after the national drill that is held every year executed. at this date.

The movement, with its epicenter in the states of Puebla and Morelos, in the center of the country, left 370 dead and more than 7,000 injured, with the majority of deaths in Mexico City, accounting for 228.

On drilling day last year, Mexico recorded a magnitude 7.7 quake, one of the most intense ever recorded, right on the anniversary of the 1985 and 2017 quakes. although this time there was only one death.

seismic memes

In addition to just watching the exercise, many Mexicans took to social media to post memes to ease the panic at the sound of the exercise. seismic alarm.

In addition, others chose to inaugurate the “September 19 Earthquake Festival” after the exercise. (JO)