Mexico earthquake: Switzerland to send reinforcements
Bern, 21.09.2017 - On Tuesday, a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake caused major damage and claimed many lives in Mexico. The epicentre was about a hundred kilometres south of Mexico City. Switzerland immediately offered to help and is sending structural engineers to the affected areas at the request of the Mexican authorities.
After the earthquake struck the state of Puebla, Swiss Humanitarian Aid set up an operations team. It offered the Mexican authorities several forms of assistance, including the deployment of a Swiss Rescue team composed of 76 specialists, eight search dogs and 17 tonnes of relief supplies.
From the first moments after the disaster struck, the Mexican authorities deployed significant search and rescue resources. There is an urgent need on the ground to identify those buildings that could collapse at any time. Large numbers of people in Puebla, Mexico City and Morelos cannot return to their homes for fear that they might collapse.
At Mexico's request, Swiss Humanitarian Aid is about to dispatch a team of structural engineers to the area. They will assist the Mexican authorities in identifying buildings and public infrastructure (hospitals, schools, bridges) at risk of collapse. The aim is to prevent further loss of life.
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