Earthquake in Mexico 30 September 1999 Situation Reports
1 October 1999
On 1 October, the Pan American Health Organization met with the following national authorities in México: Directorate of Emergencies and Disasters of the Secretary of Health (Dr. Esteban Rodríguez), the Director of Special Projects of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS), and the Directorate of Emergency Management of the National Civil Protection System (SINAPROC) who provided the following information:
THE SECRETARIAT OF HEALTH
Yesterday’s earthquake (30 September) caused 18 deaths nationwide. As of 10:00 am today, 1 October, damages to hospital infrastructure were confined to the Juquila Hospital, in the State of
Oaxaca, where 12 beds were lost and in the General Hospital in the City of Oaxaca, which suffered only superficial cracks and continues to function normally.
Five medical teams consisting of physicians and nurses had previously been sent from Mexico City to help the health authorities in Oaxaca meet the needs of flood victims; these teams are now attending to those affected by the earthquake. The Emergency Directorate is awaiting assessment reports from these medical teams once they are able to reach the communities that have been isolated by landslides. The medical teams are being transported by helicopter. Currently, there are sufficient human resources and materials to manage this emergency and it has not been necessary to request assistance from other states in Mexico.
MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SECURITY (IMSS)
The Director of the Special Projects Program of IMSS’ Medical Directorate informed PAHO that the only damages in their facilities to date are non-structural damages to the IMSS Hospital in Huatulco, State of Oaxaca. However, this did not justify evacuation or closing, and the hospital continues to function normally. Today, two infrastructure experts were deployed to evaluate the other installations. They will be reporting back to PAHO.
NATIONAL CIVIL PROTECTION SYSTEM (SINAPROC)
SINAPROC’s Director of Emergency Management informed PAHO that there have been 18 deaths (16 in Oaxaca; 1 in Veracruz; and 1 in Mexico City), 47 injured in Oaxaca, and as of 2:00 pm today, there were seven shelters in the State of Oaxaca accommodating 418 people. Preliminary damage reports show approximately 300 homes were totally destroyed and 2,800 homes were damaged. Another two hospitals in the City of Oaxaca have non-structural damages and continue functioning.
PAHO is maintaining permanent contact with the national authorities during the next 72 hours and any significant changes will be reported.
30 September 1999
A 7.4 (Richter Scale) earthquake with its epicenter in the southern state of Oaxaca, struck Mexico this afternoon. Preliminary reports put the death toll at five in Oaxaca; no injuries or deaths have been reported as yet in Mexico City.
The PAHO/WHO Representative (PWR) in Mexico is attempting to gather information from the local authorities but presently has no more information available than what is in the. Phone contact is sporadic, but more likely do to an overload on the system than to destruction to infrastructure.
PAHO/PED's Subregional Advisor, Dr. Luis Jorge Pérez will be evaluating damages to health infrastructure and assessing health needs, in collaboration with the Secretary of Health and the office of the PWR. For more information, please contact Dr. Perez in Mexico at lperez@mex.ops-oms.org or disaster@paho.org