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N0KFQ > TODAY 19.09.11 18:39l 40 Lines 1647 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 12062_KB0WSA
Read: GUEST
Subj: Today in History - Sep 19
Path: IZ3LSV<IW0QNL<JH4XSY<JE7YGF<F6CDD<N0KFQ<KB0WSA
Sent: 110919/1732Z 12062@KB0WSA.MO.USA.NA BPQ1.0.4
Sep 19, 1985:
Earthquake shakes Mexico City
On this day in 1985, a powerful earthquake strikes Mexico City
and leaves 10,000 people dead, 30,000 injured and thousands more
homeless.
At 7:18 in the morning, the residents of Mexico City were jolted
awake by an 8.1-magnitude earthquake, one of the strongest to
ever hit the area. The effects of the quake were particularly
devastating because of the type of ground upon which the city
sits. Mexico City is on a plateau surrounded by mountains and
volcanoes. The plateau region was covered by lakes in ancient
times. As the aquifer under the city has slowly drained, it has
been discovered that the city sits atop a combination of dirt and
sand that is much less stable than bedrock and can be quite
volatile during an earthquake.
The quake on September 19 was centered 250 miles west of the city
but, due to the relatively unstable ground underneath the city,
serious shaking lasted for nearly 3 minutes. The prolonged ground
movement caused several old hotels, including the Regis,
Versailles and Romano, to crumble. A building at the National
College of Professional Education fell, trapping hundreds of
students who were attending early-morning classes. Many factories
in the city, built with shoddy materials, also could not stand.
Further, the tremors caused gas mains to break, causing fires and
explosions throughout the city.
When the damage was finally assessed, 3,000 buildings in Mexico
City were demolished and another 100,000 suffered serious damage.
73, K.O. n0kfq
Another old retired guy
E-mail: n0kfq@winlink.org
N0KFQ@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
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