MEXICO IN RUINS AS DEATH TOLL SOARS TO 245
L 52 rescued, but death toll rises to 245 l Cause for joy among the carnage
AMID MEXICO CITY’S rampant death and destruction, desperate rescuers clung Wednesday to something in short supply across their earthquake-ravaged nation: Hope in the middle of tragedy.
Their faith, against all odds, was rewarded over and over again.
Hundreds of rescuers scrambled in search of survivors amid the massive piles of rubble as the hunt for the living continued after the second quake to strike the country in 12 days.
The death toll climbed to 245 as authorities said the number of confirmed dead in Mexico City was now at 115 on the day after Tuesday’s killer quake.
Eleven of the dead were members of a single family, killed while attending a baptism inside a church in the town of Atzala.
But the carnage was offset by the miraculous rescues: By mid-afternoon Wednesday, 52 people were found alive in the disaster area.
“We won’t stop,” tweeted Mexico City’s Social Development Department.
The endless pursuit was repeated across Mexico City, where the mayor said 38 buildings collapsed after one of the worst earthquakes to hit the nation in 30 years.
It was much the same in the town of Jojutla, where a weeping Maria Elena Vargas walked past the remains of dozens of leveled homes.
“It was an ugly and horrible experience,” she said. “Our house used to be two floors, and it ended up a total loss. I hope the government helps us, because this block is destroyed.”
But hope was found in the darkest of places.
The sight of a hand in the debris of the Enrique Rebsamen school in Mexico City sent waves of optimism rippling among the would-be saviors working in the rubble.
Squads of police officers, firefighters, soldiers and local residents worked side by side in the rescue efforts. Wielding hammers and shovels, they broke concrete and moved dirt — sometimes only to find another body.
But Carlos Licona, an undaunted volunteer with a sledge hammer, expressed a bit of optimism amid the horrors.
“It would appear they are continuing to find children,” said Licona. Asked if that was cause for good feelings, he replied, “I hope so.”
The rescue efforts targeting a small girl aired live on Mexican television. Men in construction gear, including helmets and neon vests, used pry bars in an effort to move the concrete.
The discovery of a survivor from a collapsed factory led rescuers to chant in unison.
“Yes, we can!” they shouted when the victim was pulled free.
President Trump offered his condolences Wednesday to Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto over the latest south-of-the-border nightmare.
Trump, during their lengthy conversation, also pledged continued cooperation in the wake of recent natural disaster — and sent U.S. search teams to aid the rescue effort.
“Every minute counts to save lives,” said Nieto, who visited Jojutla and announced door-to-door visits by the state to check on all residents.
Just south of the capital, there were 69 reported fatalities in Morelos state and 43 in Puebla state — the two other hardest-hit regions. The death toll has already surpassed the 90 killed in the Sept. 7 quake in southern Mexico.
Roughly 40% of Mexico City and 60% of
neighboring Morelos state remained without electricity late Tuesday.
Residents of both the city and its rural suburbs were left to sleep outside, their homes destroyed — finding refuge in local parks or the streets.
Others found their paths home blocked by rubble or possible gas leaks. Certain roadways were filled with abandoned cars, and motorcycle gangs in Mexico City opened lanes for emergency vehicles on crowded streets.
Post-earthquake photos captured thrown-together field hospitals in treelined streets and plazas, with survivors laid out on gurneys and young children in cribs.
Volunteers quickly sprang into action as tottering buildings swayed and threatened to tumble.
Chilean volunteers on their way to Mexico sounded an upbeat note about their prospects. Eighteen members of Topos Chile — a volunteer group that specializes in disaster response — believed the odds for additional life-saving rescues were good.
“If we haven’t found you, you’re not dead,” said Topos Chile head of operations Francisco Lermanda to Canal 13 television.
People trapped in rubble can be discovered days after a disaster, he advised — long after hopes for finding anyone alive are long gone.
Mexico’s soccer federation called off all first-division games this weekend, with officials hopeful of rescheduling the contests in mid-October.
“We would like to bring people a moment of joy, but it is a more complex decision, and we need to have all the information from authorities,” Mexican league president Enrique Bonilla told Fox News.
The devastating quake Tuesday came on the 32nd anniversary of a massive earthquake in Mexico City that killed more than 5,000 people.
“People are very sensitive because today was the 32nd anniversary of a tragedy,” said Ricardo Ibarra, 48, who survived that earthquake and volunteered to help Tuesday.