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A Major Earthquake Has Devastated Parts Of Southern Mexico

@AlertaChiapas / Twitter
By September 8, 2017 at 10:57 am

An 8.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of southern Mexico near Chiapas late last night. The earthquake was shallow (only 43 miles deep) and strong enough that it was felt as far away as Mexico City, which is 600 miles away from the epicenter, according to CNN. At least 32 people have been killed in Mexico. According to the Associated Press, there is an unconfirmed report of one person dead in neighboring Guatemala.

Buildings shook for almost a full minute after a magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck off the coast of southern Mexico near Chiapas.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has called the earthquake the strongest Mexico has experienced in 100 years. According to CNN, 32 people have died so far, with 23 deaths in Oaxaca, seven deaths in Chiapas, and two deaths reported in Tabasco.

People have shared videos of the earthquake on social media that show buildings crumbling as they shake.

According to LA Times, two women in Chiapas died after a home collapsed and one child in Tabasco died after a wall fell.

There are reports that some hospitals in the affected area are still without power and first responders are searching for survivors.

“Please, we urgently need as much help as you can send,” Pamela Terán, a city councilor in Juchitán, Oaxaca, said in a video, according to The New York Times. “We need hands and manpower to try and dig out the people that we know are buried under the rubble.”

Mexico City, 600 miles north of the epicenter of the earthquake, felt the force.

Schools in Mexico City and 10 Mexican states impacted by the earthquake have been closed for the day as the country assesses all the damage caused by the earthquake, according to The New York Times.

The skies over Mexico City flashed with lights during the earthquake.

There is some debate about what caused the lights, which is a phenomenon that has been reported during previous earthquakes, according to Forbes.

Forbes reports that there are two theories that can explain the lights. One is that the lights are a release of energy from the ground during seismic activity that is similar to lightning. The second is electrical power sources exploding due to the shaking and movement brought on by the earthquake.

The United States Geological Survey has reported around 20 aftershocks following the earthquake.

According to LA Times, Peña Nieto has warned that a 7.2 magnitude aftershock is likely.

Mexican authorities and first responders are still assessing the damage and looking through rubble for more survivors.


READ: Death Toll Jumps To 413 After Ecuador Earthquake, But Rescuers Continue Finding Survivors

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Teenage Inmate Pedro Hernandez Is A Free Man After A Year Of Maintaining His Innocence His Case Was Thrown Out Amidst Allegations Of Corruption By Police

Things That Matter

Teenage Inmate Pedro Hernandez Is A Free Man After A Year Of Maintaining His Innocence His Case Was Thrown Out Amidst Allegations Of Corruption By Police

WPIX 11
By Andrew Santiago September 8, 2017 at 11:56 am
Credit: WPIX11

After spending a year in prison, 17 year-old Pedro Hernandez of the Bronx, has been set free. Hernandez was arrested for the shooting of another teenager back in 2015. When he went to trial, instead of taking a plea bargain that would have set him free and allowed him to take advantage of a college scholarship, he maintained his innocence. His bail was set to $250,000 and his trial date pushed back beyond the date he needed to be a free man in order to accept the scholarship, in essence, losing it. Although things looked bleak for him, Hernandez, found a way to become a leader while incarcerated at Rikers Island, mentoring others and completing his studies.

Things changed when his family hired private investigator Manuel Gomez, who uncovered corruption by the arresting officer, who once gambled with dice for one young man’s freedom. Gomez says there are up to 49 other cases tried by the same prosecutor and police officer where corruption has played a role. At one point, a crowdfunding page was set up to help pay for Hernandez’s bail. After hearing the case, a judge dropped his bail to $100,000, at which point the Robert F. Kennedy human rights organization stepped in to post bail. As of this week, the case was dismissed in court. Hernandez is set to return for another robbery charge in the coming weeks. Those charges are also expected to be dismissed.


[H/T] WPIX11

READ: This Bronx Student Won A Full Scholarship To College But Can’t Use It Because He’s In Jail Trying To Prove His Innocence


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Tags: New York City, Trial, Pedro Hernandez, Rikers Island, Bronx
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