17: 7.0 earthquake struck outside Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, killing at 13 people

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck just outside the tourist city of Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, killing at 13 people and leaving more than 1.6 million without electricity in early September.  

The earthquake was a thrust faulting event located on or near the subduction zone boundary of the Caribbean Plate and Cocos Plate. The earthquake was first measured at a magnitude of 7.4 by the USGS, however, it was later downgraded to 7.0. The earthquake occurred at a relatively shallow depth, only 20 kilometres (12 mi) below the surface, which would have amplified the shaking effect. 

The earthquake occurred at the southern extent of the Guerrero Gap. The Guerrero Gap is a seismic gap on the subduction boundary which stretches from Acapulco to Tecpán de Galeana for 230 km. Many seismologists in Mexico were on alert after the event because it occurred in a region where no major earthquake have struck for over 110 years, therefore was designated as a seismic gap. 

At least 8,700 structures across 40 municipalities of Guerrero were damaged, affecting 15,000 people. At least 3,060 of them are in rural communities.

According to the Guerrero Civil Protection Secretariat, 3,289 structures including at least 2,006 homes, 35 schools, 13 hospitals, six places of worship, and 13 hotels were damaged in Acapulco. In the city, located 3 kilometres from the epicentre, buildings swayed and there were reports of power outages and many gas leaks. Utility poles and church facades reportedly collapsed and damaged many cars along Costera Avenue.

At least 51 buildings collapsed in the city. A total of 58 landslides occurred on a highway from Chilpancingo to Acapulco, and 11 from Chilpancingo to Iguala. Approximately 70 incidents of road collapses were reported, 58 of them between the cities of Acapulco and Chilpancingo. Eleven reports of road collapses occurred on Mexican Federal Highway 95 from Iguala to Chilpancingo. At least 56 gas leaks were reported in Acapulco as well. Highways and homes were also partially buried under landslides and rockfalls. The earthquake generated panic in the city and drove many people out of hotels. Minor damage was discovered in terminal buildings at Acapulco International Airport, prompting the suspension of operations until 11:30 local time the following day. The air traffic control tower of the airport however, was seriously damaged when ceiling tiles and debris fell into the control room. The quake affected 43,000 businesses in Acapulco 4,800 of which remained closed. Many indigenous groups residing in the mountainous terrains of Guerrero were also affected. 

More than 200 units at an apartment building in Diamante, Acapulco were abandoned by residents due to the extent of damage and fears that it was unsafe for occupancy. Another 26 buildings in the city were abandoned by residents, which spent the night sleeping on the streets. 

The retaining walls of a school in the Primero de Mayo neighbourhood collapsed, exposing its foundations and putting the structure at risk of a total collapse. Rural settlements including Xaltianguis, Xolapa, Las Tortolitas, El Playón, La Sierrita, San José, Pablo Galeana, Las Marías, Agua Zarca and La Calera were affected by the quake, all reporting damage to homes and injuries. A luxury three-storey home in the Punta Brava area of the city completely collapsed during the shaking.