The death toll from a powerful earthquake in southern Mexico has risen to seven, the state government of Oaxaca announced on Wednesday.
The 7.4 magnitude earthquake, which was followed by more than 1,500 aftershocks, was felt in Mexico City, some 700 kilometers (430 miles) from the epicenter of Oaxaca.
He fled homes and workplaces and even forced the closure of an oil refinery.
“My condolences – at the moment there are seven dead in the state of Oaxaca,” said Governor Alejandro Murat in an interview with Milenio TV.
Murat added that 2,000 houses had been damaged.
First responders were still working to clear debris from a highway, he added.
Earlier, national civil protection coordinator David Leon said 23 people were injured in the earthquake.
Mexican Oil said its Salina Cruz refinery in Oaxaca was shut down as a precaution after a fire broke out in the factory “which was immediately smothered”.
One of the dead in the earthquake was a refinery worker, who was killed after falling from a tall structure.
(This story has not been edited by GalacticGaming staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
