International Medical Corps is mobilizing disaster response experts and supplies to be ready to respond as needed after an 8.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Chiapas State in southern Mexico, near the border with Guatemala.
“We are in touch with our contacts on the ground and are ready to support the Government of Mexico to provide lifesaving medical care and relief as needed,” said Ian Rodgers, International Medical Corps’ Director of Emergency Response and Preparedness.
Dozens of people were killed in the strongest earthquake to hit Mexico in a century. Small tsunami waves as high as 3.3 feet were recorded in Mexico, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, while five aftershocks with magnitude 4.9 or higher hit in the hour following the initial quake. Chiapas, which is also Mexico’s poorest state, has declared a state of emergency.
International Medical Corps has responded in the aftermath of historic earthquakes such as the 2015 Nepal earthquake, 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, 2010 Haiti earthquake, and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.