Mexico Marks Twin Anniversaries Of 1985 And 2017 Powerful Quakes

Mexico on Wednesday marked the anniversaries of two powerful earthquakes that hit the Country on the same date in 1985 and 2017 which claimed about 10,000 and 369 lives respectively.

President Enrique Pena Nieto and cabinet members attended a ceremony observing the moment when the first quake, the country’s deadliest ever, struck central Mexico at 7:19 a.m at a magnitude of 8.1

The Mexican flag was raised and those present sang the national anthem. The second earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.1, rocked Mexico City and surrounding states at 1:14 p.m 32 years later.

The earth started shaking just two hours after millions of people had participated in an annual evacuation drill marking the anniversary of the previous quake.

A moment of silence was due to mark the moment the second quake struck, followed by a similar drill in several cities on Wednesday.

Many of the victims of that quake are still living in tents with family members, while concern is growing over the danger that damaged buildings could represent.

The house that Adriana Reyna Alvarez del Castillo lived in, for instance, “is not standing up straight,’’ the 40-year-old told dpa. “But the government does not want to tear it down’’.

More than 160 buildings are in danger of collapsing in the capital, according to the government, which has pledged to demolish them.