Scores Killed In 7.1 Mexico Earthquake On Anniversary Of 1985 Quake Disaster

STREETS OF MEXICO CITY.

A MASSIVE QUAKE STRIKES FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS MONTH.

ANOTHER TEST OF THE COUNTRY'S SOPHISTICATED EARLY WARNING SYSTEM.

GOOD EVENING, I'M ALLEN MARTIN.

I'M VERONICA DE LA CRUZ.

THE EARTHQUAKE WAS CENTERED IN THE MEXICAN STATE OF PUEBLA — LESS THAN 100 MILES SOUTH EAST OF MEXICO CITY.

THE 7-POINT-1 QUAKE TOPPLED DOZEN OF BUILDINGS.

AND SENT RESCUE WORKERS DIGGING THROUGH RUBBLE.

MEXICO CITY'S MAYOR SAYS: BETWEEN 50 AND 60 PEOPLE WERE PULLED OUT ALIVE.

BUT STATE OFFICIALS SAY: THE DEATH TOLL IS CLIMBING.

AT LAST CHECK – 120 CONFIRMED DEAD.

INCREDIBLY, IT WAS ON THIS DAY, 32 YEARS AGO, THAT A MAGNITUDE EIGHT QUAKE KILLED NEARLY 10- THOUSAND PEOPLE IN MEXICO CITY.

KPIX 5'S SUSIE STEIMLE JOINS US.

WITH A LOOK AT TODAY'S DAMAGE.

SUSIE? THIS IS HIGHEST DEATH TOLL MEXICO HAS SEEN FROM AN EARTHQUAKE SINCE THAT 1985 QUAKE 32 YEARS AGO.

MEXICO CITY'S MAYOR TOLD REPORTERS THAT AT LEAST 30 OF THOSE 120 DEATHS OCCURED IN THE CAPITAL.

44 BUILDINGS IN MEXICO CITY EITHER COLLAPSED OR WERE BADLY DAMAGED TODAY.

THE SEARCH IS ON FOR SURVIVORS TRAPPED INSIDE CRUMBLED BUILDINGS IN MEXICO CITY.

THE EARTHQUAKE OCCURRED AT 11:19 PACIFIC TIME, SPLITTING STREETS, SHAKING SKYSCRAPERS AND SENDING PEOPLE SCREAMING INTO THE STREETS.

IT COMES ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF MEXICO CITY'S DEVASTATING 1985 EARTHQUAKE THAT TOOK THE LIVES OF THOUSANDS.

POLITICIANS HELD A MEMORIAL THIS MORNING FOLLOWED BY EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS DRILLS.

THAT 1985 QUAKE PROMPTED MEXICO TO PUT IN PLACE AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM THAT SENDS ALERTS TO PEOPLE'S PHONES THE MOMENT SHAKING STARTS, AT TIMES IT'S GIVEN PEOPLE UP TO A MINUTE TO PREPARE.

"01:07 moderate shaking expected in 22 seconds" KPIX-5 FIRST REPORTED PLANS FOR A SIMILAR SYSTEM IN CALIFORNIA BACK IN 2012.

JAPAN HAS AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM IN PLACE AS WELL.

BOTH JAPAN AND MEXICO WERE MOTIVATED TO BUILD THESE SYSTEMS AFTER MASSIVE EARTHQUAKES CLAIMED THE LIVES OF THOUSANDS.

CALIFORNIA HAS YET TO COME UP WITH THE FUNDING FOR ITS OWN SYSTEM.

SOME SEISMIC SENSORS HAVE ALREADY BEEN PUT IN PLACE, BUT NEARLY 1000 MORE ARE NEEDED.

RESEARCHERS ARE HOPING IT DOESN'T TAKE A DISASTER HERE TO MOTIVATE POLITICIANS TO TAKE ACTION.

1:37 if the presidents budget is passed by congress the program will be stopped because this is one of the things being eliminated PRESIDENT TRUMP DID TWEET HIS SUPPORT SAYING "GOD BLESS THE PEOPLE OF MEXICO CITY.

WE ARE WITH YOU AND WILL BE THERE FOR YOU.

" SS KPIX 5.

Source: Youtube

Scores Killed In 7.1 Mexico Earthquake On Anniversary Of 1985 Quake Disaster