At least 58 dead in Mexico’s biggest quake in century

By Nancy Caouette
MEXICO CITY, (AA)-At least 58 people were killed Friday, when a powerful 8.2-magnitude earthquake struck southern Mexico, authorities said.
The quake, which collapsed buildings and sent people fleeing from their homes in the middle of the night, was "the most powerful registered in Mexico in at least 100 years" said President Enrique Peña Nieto.
National Civil Protection Coordinator, Luis Felipe Puente, confirmed on Twitter that 45 people died in Oaxaca state, 10 in Chiapas and three in Tabasco state.
Puente said in a radio interview that those three southern Pacific states near the epicenter were the most affected.
"In Juchitan, [in Oaxaca], the municipal palace, the market and a hotel collapsed. Several houses were destroyed, and we are still looking for people among the rubble,” he said.
With rescue workers still searching for survivors, the death toll could continue to rise, officials warned.
Peña Nieto announced a state of emergency in Chiapas and warned residents a strong aftershock is likely within the next 24 hours that could cause a "minor degree” of damage.
A tsunami alert issued for Mexico’s Pacific coast, “does not represent a major risk,” he said.
The quake was felt strongly in Mexico City, 965 kilometers (600 miles) from the epicenter.
No major damage has been reported in the capital, but the city is dealing with power outages.
Education Secretary Aurelio Nuño Mayer announced that classes had been suspended in 11 of the country’s 31 states and in Mexico City to assess the damage at schools.
According to an official, the earthquake was stronger than the 8.0-magnitude quake of 1985 that killed at least 10,000 people and destroyed a large part of Mexico City.