Sept. 23 (UPI) — Mexico was struck by a 6.1-magnitude earthquake on Saturday morning, believed to be an aftershock of another deadly earlier this month.
The earthquake was centered near the town of Juchitan in Oaxaca, where director of Civil Protection Heliodoro Diaz reported there were no casualties from the third earthquake to strike the country in the month of September.
He added that local residents were anxious after dealing with a number of tremors.
Oaxaca rests roughly between the center of the 7.1-magnitude temblor that hit near Mexico City on Tuesday and killed at least 298 people, and the more powerful 8.1-magnitude quake that struck the southern Pacific coast on Sept. 7.
Diaz added that at least of 64,626 houses in Oaxaca have been damaged this month and Communications Secretary Gerardo Ruiz Esparz also reported the collapse of a bridge just before 8 a.m. Saturday.
Mexican officials said the temblor on Saturday morning was likely an aftershock of the Sept. 7 quake. Authorities said it was the strongest of 4,000 aftershocks from the powerful quake.
No new major damage was reported in the capital, but rescue operations came to a halt as sirens warned of the early morning quake.
Rescuers had detected signs of life inside a ruined apartment building in Mexico City on Friday and were continuing to search for people trapped underneath debris.
Luis Felipe Puente, Mexico’s civil protection coordinator, said rescue efforts in the capital could last “for at least two more weeks.”
“Our first phase is rescue and humanitarian aid,” he said. “Until we are absolutely certain that there are no more people missing, we will continue our search and rescue mission.”
