by Ben Pfeffer
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake terrorized Mexico, striking Mexico City on September 19.
As reported by CNN, the earthquake struck on the 32nd anniversary of the deadly 1985 earthquake. Many buildings collapsed in the recent quake, leaving at least 311 people dead during and after the natural disaster, with 186 of them from Mexico City. People are still missing and being searched for, so the death toll may rise. Even a week after the quake, there are still search parties.
In addition to the high casualties, the earthquake has also left many Mexicans homeless as it caused widespread devastation and destruction.
According to reports by PBS, Mexico City was very susceptible to a deadly earthquake. The ground underneath was an old lake bed, which means that the ground is soft and wet. Therefore, earthquakes get amplified by 100 times in Mexico City. The buildings are reportedly unstable and built very close together, which compounds the destruction when multiple buildings collapse with people inside.
According to The New York Times, citizens of Mexico are panicking and showing signs of PTSD a week after the quake.
This has been one of the bigger disasters among an astounding series of natural disasters.
CNN reported that an 8.1 magnitude earthquake struck the west coast of Mexico 11 days earlier. Sixty one people died from that earthquake. The effects were felt as far as Mexico City.
Here in North Attleboro, high school students had things to say about the situation.
When asked about the sudden recent natural disasters in relation to the Mexican quake, senior Axel Jeremie stated, “It’s sad to see such a devastating event unexpectedly ravage such a nice community of people. People that live their lives just trying to get by.”
Other students were asked about the collapse of schools and buildings in Mexico city. Junior Saketh Uppuluri made his point: “I feel terrible for them. They have it rough enough as it is.”
When asked about the most recent earthquake and what people knew about it, junior Shaylee Maxcy said, “The earthquake had a big impact on the Mexican people. It closed and even destroyed schools, making education even worse for them. A lot of people, even kids, died which makes me feel terrible.”
The First Launch 