VivirLatino

It was 22 years ago today when, at 7:19 a.m. local time, Mexico City was shaken by an earthquake which is said to have released the energy of 1,114 20-kiloton atomic bombs. The Richter scale registered 8.1 that morning, and in only two minutes huge portions of the city were destroyed. The earthquake’s epicenter was situated off the coasts of Guerrero and Michoacan states, but affected the Valley of Mexico, the center of which is Mexico City, much more intensely.

The magnitude of the damage is illustrated by the official numbers:

- 2,831 buildings were structurally damaged; 31 percent in ruins (880)
- 13 hospitals were destroyed
- An estimated $9-12 billion dollars in damage
- 50,000 city residents were left homeless
- 10,000 people lost their lives

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