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8.1 magnitude earthquake triggering “strange flashes of bright light” kills dozens in Mexico
Mexico was on Thursday night hit by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake, leaving about 38 persons dead, according to CNN.
The disaster has been described as the worst earthquake to hit the country in 100 years.
About 50 million people felt the earthquake with epicenter in the Pacific Ocean.
Southern states of Chiapas and Oaxaca were hit the hardest in an earthquake which occurred when most people were sleeping Thursday night.
At least 25 people were killed in Oaxaca state, according to the Oaxaca Civil Protection Agency. Ten others died in Chiapas state and three were killed in Tabasco, local officials said.
Manuel Velasco, the governor of Chiapas said: “There is damage to hospitals that have lost energy. Homes, schools and hospitals have been damaged.”
Video shows offices and homes shaking as a magnitude-8.1 earthquake rocks southern Mexico. At least 15 are dead. https://t.co/8e9tz0nAgh pic.twitter.com/r6LaTMWisI
— ABC News (@ABC) September 8, 2017
The quake even rocked the city’s Angel of Independence monument as it was seen swaying to the sides.
Así vivió el sismo de esta noche el Ángel de la Independencia. pic.twitter.com/3rmlbc6DSl
— El Financiero (@ElFinanciero_Mx) September 8, 2017
Mexico’s president, Enrique Peña Nieto said schools would be closed for the day in Mexico City, the state of Mexico, Chiapas, Hidalgo, Veracruz, Guerrero, Tabasco, Oaxaca, Puebla and Tlaxcala.
The earthquake also “triggered strange flashes of bright light that spilled across the country,” according to Forbes contributor Trevor Nace.
https://twitter.com/lalocedeno/status/906022311731462144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Ftrevornace%2F2017%2F09%2F08%2F8-2-earthquake-strikes-mexico-produces-mysterious-bright-flashes-light%2F
Nace, who is a geologist, “Earthquake lights have been reported many times in the past with explanations related to tectonic stresses and seismic activity. However, there is also reason to believe that in some of these instances it is simply a power supply being destroyed. Often times it’s difficult to determine the exact sources of these lights, as is the case recently in Mexico.”
According to The Guardian, the US Geological Survey recorded at least 20 aftershocks of magnitude 4.0 or greater within about five hours after the main shake, and the president warned that a major aftershock as large as magnitude 7.2 could occur.
