Mexico Red Cross seeks donations for earthquake victims

It’s been three days since a seven point one earthquake hit Mexico City, killing two hundred and eighty-six persons and hundreds more remain missing, at last count. Those numbers continue to climb as over one thousand volunteers and officials continue to conduct searches for survivors from the rubble of dozens of buildings within the capital, including a factory and school that were obliterated by the earthquake. One report says that volunteers, aid workers and officials from across the world have traveled to Mexico to help with the recovery effort as “men and women form human chains, used sledgehammers and drills as well as infrared technology and specially-trained dogs to hunt for survivors.” One large rescue operation concluded at the city’s Enrique Rébsamen School, where eleven children were rescued and nineteen children and six adults were confirmed killed. In an interview with NBC News, a student, in the company of his mother, recounts the horrific ordeal.

Student

“I was in my English class and the ground started to vibrate. I said it was shaking because no alarm went off. I said it was shaking and we all went down quickly and that’s when I made the best decision of my life, which was not to go to the left which is where everything fell first. I went to the right with my friends and we were going down the stairs. I did not fall, neither did my friends. There were too many and then I didn’t see them anymore. We were downstairs and I could see the whole school had fallen. There was all the dust and we could only cover ourselves. There weren’t that many classmates and I’m seeing that many that I knew and a teacher died. Everything was so fast. I didn’t see her. In thirty seconds my school was down and I don’t even know how I saved myself.”

Mother

“It took me almost five hours to get here. It was anguish. I heard on the radio about the school and I thought, my God, my children. And there was no way of communicating with anyone. But thank God they’re here. My kids are safe.”

Authorities say they were working on the assumption that survivors, who remain trapped, would be able to last only about four days. The Mexican Embassy in Belize has sent details of how to donate through the Mexican Red Cross. You can access the Mexican Red Cross at https://cruzrojadonaciones.org/ and follow the instructions provided.