Mexico Olympic Committee Says All Athletes Safe After Earthquake

The Mexican Olympic Committee has reported that all athletes, administrative personnel, and sports facilities associated with the organization are safe after a magnitude-7.1 earthquake hit the capital region and surrounding states on Tuesday.

The earthquake toppled several buildings and the death toll is up to 42 as of posting time, and sure to rise as more rubble is cleared. 3.8 million Mexicans are without electricity, the government says.

The earthquake was centered in the state of Puebla and was powerful enough to destroy buildings in Mexico City, 75 miles away. The earthquake struck 32 years, to the day, after the “Great Mexico City Earthquake” of 1985 that caused the deaths of at least 5,000 people. That earthquake registered 8.0 on the Richter scale.

While no Mexican Olympic Committee facilities were damaged, the Estadio Azteca, which has hosted two World Cup finals and was the principal venue of the soccer tournament at the 1968 Summer Olympic Games, suffered a split in the back of the grandstand as a result of the tremble.

This is the 2nd major earthquake to strike Mexico this month. A magnitude 8.1 earthquake hit off the coast of Chiapas Mexico on September 8th with many aftershocks that killed at least 81 people. At least 16,000 homes were destroyed in southern Mexico, as that quake was the strongest to hit the country in “centuries.” That earthquake was also felt in Mexico City.

For more up to date information on the earthquake, follow CNN here.

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taa
6 years ago

paraswimming worlds start there on Sept 30. Hope the ground is settled by then

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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