The curse of September 19: the third strong earthquake in Mexico fell on this date

A magnitude 7,6 earthquake struck western Mexico on September 19, the anniversary of two devastating earthquakes in 1985 and 2017. The earthquake killed at least two people, damaged buildings, knocked out power and forced Mexico City residents to flee to the streets for safety, reports Reuters.

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Two people died in the Pacific port of Manzanillo, authorities said: one was crushed by the front of a department store and another was found dead in a mall. Videos on social media showed the roof of the mall collapsed onto the top floor where the gym was located. People called for help.

Authorities also reported damage to several hospitals in the western state of Michoacán near the epicenter, which was in a sparsely populated part of Mexico. According to the government, one person was injured as a result of falling glass in one of the hospitals.

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The quake struck shortly after 13:00 EST off the west coast of Mexico and near Michoacán's border with the state of Colima, where the major port of Manzanillo is located, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued a coastal tsunami warning, saying swells up to 1 to 3 meters above high tide are possible.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said that the tsunami threat was "largely over".

The organization's latest research has also shown a reduction in wave heights. CNN.

This earthquake hit Mexico on the same day, September 19, that the country was hit by devastating earthquakes in 1985 and 2017.

"It's like a curse," said Isa Montes, a 34-year-old graphic designer from central Roma.

The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), one of the country's most prestigious institutions of higher education, said there was no scientific explanation for three major earthquakes on the same day, and attributed it to pure coincidence.

But others could not believe it.

“This is the date. There's something special about Sept. 19, said Ernesto Lanzetta, a business owner in the city's Cuauhtemoc neighborhood. “The 19th is a day to watch out for.”

Thousands of people died in the September 19, 1985 earthquake and more than 350 people died in the September 19, 2017 earthquake.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also noted property damage near the epicenter. Buildings in the area were badly damaged.

Mexican authorities said a seismic alarm sounded nearly two minutes before the quake hit, giving residents time to evacuate.

However, some people in the capital could not understand that this was a real earthquake, as the government had already turned on the alarm earlier in the day as a practical exercise and in memory of past earthquakes that took place on the same day in 1985 and 2017 years.

In Coalcoman, Michoacán, near the epicenter, roof tiles are seen blown off houses and building walls cracked in the quake. In one store, merchandise was scattered across the floor.

Parts of the fashionable Roma district in Mexico City, about 400 km from the epicenter, have experienced power outages. The National Energy Company said the power outages affected 1,2 million users.

Residents of the area stood in the streets calming their pets, and tourists visiting the local market with a guide were visibly confused and upset. Traffic lights stopped working and people clutched their phones while texting or waiting for a call to be answered.

Clara Ferri, owner of an Italian bookstore in Roma, asked shoppers to leave as soon as she heard windows rattling, her expert ear tuned to the sounds of a nascent earthquake after 16 years in the location.

“To me, it sounds like a drill at the dentist,” she said.

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The noise grew louder, and as Ferry gathered with her neighbors at the intersection, she looked up and saw the eight-story building that houses her store swaying from side to side.

When she returned, the shelves toppled over like dominoes and over 1000 books fell to the floor.

Residents rushed outside with their pets and suitcases, preparing to spend the night elsewhere, and one woman cautiously escorted her 89-year-old uncle in blue and white striped pajamas.

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