A dozen images that reveal Mexico's earthquake destruction

Updated at 9:15 a.m. on 09/25/2017.

Nearly 9 million people reside in and around MexicoCity, one of Latin America's cultural and economic hubs. Thearea and its residents now face the Herculean task ofdigging out and rebuilding in the wake of the 7.1 magnitudeearthquake on Sept. 19, 2017, which left buildings, infrastructureand lives in ruin.

The event's seismic epicenter was in Puebla Raboso, 76 milessouth of Mexico City. The quake shook the earth throughout theregion for 20 seconds while roads and buildings crumbled, includingdozens of historic churches. So far, authorities have recorded 320deaths and 4,683 injuries as a result of the earthquake.

And the earth may still be shifting: A magnitude 6.1 earthquakesouth of the capital in Oaxaca on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017, hasclaimed 5 lives so far; 7 more people were injured.

Eerie déjà vu

This was the third major earthquake in as many weeks to strikeMexico. It happened on the 32nd anniversary of what is consideredMexico City's deadliest earthquake to date. Roughly 10,000 peopledied and 30,000 buildings came down as a result of that magnitude8.1 Michoacán Earthquake in 1985.

Mexico sits on the western edge of the North American plate,which is being underthrust by the eastward moving oceanic Cocosplate, according to risk modeling company AIR Worldwide, a division ofVerisk Analytics. AIR determined that most residential buildings inMexico are of masonry construction, and they fall into one of threeclassifications: reinforced masonry, confined masonry andunreinforced masonry. “Unreinforced masonry is the constructiontype most vulnerable to shake damage,” AIR said in a statementabout the impact of this most recent Mexico City earthquake.

Significant rebuilding ahead

It's too early yet to know exactly the cost of rebuilding MexicoCity and the surrounding communities impacted by the Sept. 19earthquake. But consider that a comparable event in Ecuador in 2016— a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that killed 272 people andinjured 2,500 more — spurred overall losses of $2 billion andinsured losses of $560 million, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Here are a dozen images that portray the depth of Mexico'swounds as well as the great recovery work ahead. A man walks his bike past a building felled by a 7.1 earthquake, in Jojutla, Morelos state, Mexico, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017. Buildings collapsed in Morelos state, including the town hall and local church in Jojutla near the quake's epicenter. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

A man walks his bike past a building felled by a 7.1earthquake, in Jojutla, Morelos state, Mexico, Wednesday, Sept. 20,2017. Buildings collapsed in Morelos state, including the town halland local church in Jojutla near the quake's epicenter. (APPhoto/Eduardo Verdugo)

The doorway of a house collapsed by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake stands in San Gregorio Atlapulco, Mexico, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Authorities say 121 of the village's houses were severely damaged by the Tuesday quake and inhabitants are without water and electricity. The bell tower of the local church was toppled by the force of the quake. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

The doorway of a house collapsed by a 7.1-magnitudeearthquake stands in San Gregorio Atlapulco, Mexico, Friday, Sept.22, 2017. Authorities say 121 of the village's houses were severelydamaged by the Tuesday quake and inhabitants are without water andelectricity. The bell tower of the local church was toppled by theforce of the quake. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

A Catholic church's bell tower is missing after the7.1-magnitude earthquake in San Gregorio Atlapulco, Mexico, Friday,Sept. 22, 2017. Mexican officials are promising to keep up thesearch for survivors as rescue operations stretch into a fourth dayfollowing Tuesday's major earthquake that devastated Mexico Cityand nearby states. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

In this Sept. 20, 2017 photo, workers rescue a religiousstatue from the heavily damaged former convent of San JuanBautista, in Tlayacapan, Morelos state, Mexico. People by themillions rushed from homes and offices across central Mexico, aftera 7.1 earthquake, sometimes watching as buildings they had justfled fell behind them with an eruption of dust and debris. (APPhoto/Eduardo Verdugo)

Rescue personnel work on a collapsed building, far right, asvehicle traffic crawls on the Viaducto highway, a day after adevastating 7.1 earthquake, in the Del Valle neighborhood of MexicoCity, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2107. Efforts continue at the scenes ofdozens of collapsed buildings, where firefighters, police, soldiersand civilians continue their search to reach the living. (APPhoto/Moises Castillo)

A handler and his rescue dog look for victims at the site of a quake-collapsed seven-story building in Mexico City's Roma Norte neighborhood, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Mexican officials are promising to keep up the search for survivors as rescue operations stretch into a fourth day following Tuesday's major earthquake that devastated Mexico City and nearby states. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

A handler and his rescue dog look for victims at the site ofa quake-collapsed seven-story building in Mexico City's Roma Norteneighborhood, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Mexican officials arepromising to keep up the search for survivors as rescue operationsstretch into a fourth day following Tuesday's major earthquake thatdevastated Mexico City and nearby states. (AP Photo/RebeccaBlackwell)

Israeli rescue workers help with search and rescue efforts at the site of a felled office building brought down by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake, in the Roma Norte neighborhood, in Mexico City, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017. As rescue operations stretched into Day 5, residents throughout the capital have held out hope that dozens still missing might be found alive. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

Israeli rescue workers help with search and rescue effortsat the site of a felled office building brought down by a7.1-magnitude earthquake, in the Roma Norte neighborhood, in MexicoCity, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017. As rescue operations stretched intoDay 5, residents throughout the capital have held out hope thatdozens still missing might be found alive. (AP Photo/MoisesCastillo)

A young volunteer raises his fist as a sign to keep silentas dogs search through the rubble of a 7.1 quake-collapsedfour-story clothing factory, in Mexico City, Friday, Sept. 22,2017. Rescue operations stretched into a fourth day Friday,spurring hope among desperate relatives gathered at the sites ofbuildings collapsed by Tuesday's powerful earthquake. (APPhoto/Dario Lopez-Mills)

Rescuers race to save people believed to be still aliveinside a collapsed office building in the Roma Norte neighborhoodof Mexico City, as night falls Friday, Sept. 22, 2017, three daysafter a 7.1 magnitude earthquake. Hope mixed with fear Friday inMexico City, where families huddled under tarps and donatedblankets, awaiting word of their loved ones trapped in the rubble.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Related: Magnitude 6.7 earthquake strikes Turkey andGreece Personnel work in rescue operations in the rubbleof a building felled by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, in the CiudadJardin neighborhood of Mexico City, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017.Thousands of professionals and volunteers are working franticallyat dozens of wrecked buildings across the capital and nearby stateslooking for survivors of the powerful quake that hit Tuesday. (APPhoto/Eduardo Verdugo)

Architects Victor Marquez stands in a stairwell during the appraisal of an earthquake-damaged building, in Mexico City, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. It is up to experts like Marquez, who considers himself a building doctor, to bring peace of mind to fearful apartment dwellers living in the aftermath of a powerful Sept. 19 earthquake. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Architect Victor Marquez stands in a stairwell during theappraisal of an earthquake-damaged building, in Mexico City,Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. It is up to experts like Marquez, whoconsiders himself a building doctor, to bring peace of mind tofearful apartment dwellers living in the aftermath of a powerfulSept. 19 earthquake. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Architect Victor Marquez checks a cracked wall that was notcaused by the recent earthquake during his survey of a seven-floorapartment building, in Mexico City's Roma neighborhood, Friday,Sept. 22, 2017. It is up to experts like Marquez to bring peace ofmind, or recommend aggressive treatment, to fearful apartmentdwellers in the aftermath of Mexico's 7.1 magnitude quake thatstruck on Sept. 19. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Swiss Re issues $925M earthquake catastrophe bondfor California

Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader

All PropertyCasualty360.com news coverage, best practices, and in-depth analysis.
Educational webcasts, resources from industry leaders, and informative newsletters.
Other award-winning websites including BenefitsPRO.com and ThinkAdvisor.com.

NOT FOR REPRINT

Elana Ashanti Jefferson serves as ALM's PropertyCasualty360 Group Chief Editor. She is a veteran journalist and communications professional. Reach her by sending an e-mail to [email protected].