Powerful Earthquake Hits Mexico on Fateful Anniversary, Killing at Least 2

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck western Mexico on Monday on the anniversary of two devastating temblors, killing at least two people, damaging buildings, knocking out power and sending residents of Mexico City scrambling outside for safety.

Two died in the Pacific port of Manzanillo, authorities said, one crushed by the facade of a department store while another was found dead at a mall. Videos on social media showed the roof of the mall collapsed into the top floor, a gym, as people yelled for help.

Authorities also reported damage to several hospitals in the western state of Michoacan near the epicenter, which was in a sparsely populated part of Mexico. One person was injured by falling glass at one of the hospitals, the government said.

The quake hit shortly after 1 p.m. near Mexico’s west coast and close to Michoacan’s border with the state of Colima – where major port Manzanillo is located, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said.

It was relatively shallow, at only 15 km (9 miles) deep, which would have amplified its impact.