Some people have had a nervous breakdown

Events and photos.. devastation.. fear.. and displacement.. as a result of the Mexican Acapulco earthquake

  • A nurse takes care of a child after all patients were evacuated from a hospital in the earthquake-stricken area.

    EPA

  • Doctors and patients on the street after being evacuated from a hospital in the quake-hit area.

    Reuters

  • Rescuers inspect the destruction of a street in Acapulco.

    EPA

  • Many cars were destroyed by building stones falling on them while they were parked.

    Reuters

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An earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale in southeastern Mexico killed at least one person and caused some damage.

The National Seismological Center first announced that an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 occurred in the southeast of the country.

But then he stated that the intensity of the tremor was 7.1.

The quake occurred on Wednesday, he said, with its epicenter 11 kilometers southeast of Acapulco in the southeastern Mexican state of Guerrero.

Three aftershocks have been recorded so far, the most powerful being five.

"A man died when an electric pole fell on him in the town" in Guerrero state, Coyoca de Benítez mayor, Hector Astudillo, told the Milenio channel.

For his part, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said in a message that "stones fell from the walls only, as is the case in Morelos (central), no damage was recorded in Oaxaca (south), and no damage occurred in Puebla (central)" nor in The capital, Mexico.

"A number of people have had a nervous breakdown and are concerned that aftershocks may occur," said Acapulco Mayor Adela Roman.

And she talked about "gas leakage" incidents that were recorded in some residential areas.

An Agence France-Presse correspondent in this city stated that street lighting poles fell, vehicles were destroyed on Costera Avenue and the facade of a church collapsed.

Outside a hotel, a tourist was trying to recover from the trauma by embracing his 86-year-old mother, who was crying.

"I was taking a shower and suddenly I felt a very strong movement, I was scared and screamed," said Sixto, a resident of Mexico who was on vacation in Acapulco.

"I am with my mother and we were on the 11th floor of the hotel... I think the hotel was really damaged," he added.

For his part, the head of the General Secretariat for Citizen Safety, Omar Garcia, told the Milenio TV channel, "We have seen power outages, but there is nothing dangerous," noting that "the subway and metro trains continue to operate."

In central Mexico, in the La Condesa neighborhood near the private La Salle University, people have evacuated homes and buildings, according to testimonies collected by AFP.

"I was so scared, I don't know if I'm going to sleep tonight," said Laura Villa, 49, who lives in this neighbourhood.

I was worried about my daughter, I woke her up to protect her, and I wasn't even wearing shoes.”

Television footage showed tourists staying in hotels on Reforma Avenue, one of the capital's main streets, being evacuated in panic.

Video footage filmed by an AFP journalist at Mexico City airport revealed the severity of the earthquake, which caused the electronic display panels to vibrate strongly.

An American center had warned of the danger of a tsunami in the Pacific Ocean.

But he confirmed later that the threat of a sea tide no longer exists.

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