Magnitude 7.6 Earthquake Rocks Mexico; Belizeans Safe

A magnitude seven point six earthquake rocked western Mexico on Monday, killing two persons. The earthquake occurred on the same date as two previous temblors in Mexico – one in 1985 and the other in 2017. This is a country where an estimated six thousand Belizeans call home. Luckily, there have been no reports of any of them being injured or affected by the tremor. News Five spoke today with Belize’s Ambassador to Mexico, Oscar Arnold who is in Mexico City.

Oscar Arnold

Oscar Arnold, Belize’s Ambassador to Mexico

“Areas in Mexico City were affected, buildings were evacuated. For a few hours, about one point two million people went without electricity. So it was still felt very strongly in some areas. Where I live I didn’t really feel it. Because we were out on a National Day, we checked in on staff, we checked in on the Belizeans that are registered with the embassy and so far we haven’t heard of anyone being adversely affected. The reports, obviously are still coming in from those affected areas. Some buildings are still evacuated. The process is that they would have to get the structural teams in there to evaluate the safety of those buildings or if they’re allowed or if they’re okay to be habitable. So that continues but we haven’t had any reports of any Belizeans being injured or adversely affected. We do have a hotline where any Belizean or any individual for that matter can reach us twenty-four hours a days so that remains open and we always have somebody monitoring that hotline.”

Ambassador Arnold encourages all Belizeans living in Mexico to register with the Belizean Embassy there for instances like these so the embassy can check on them.