Mex quake toll hits 90

Mexican government cargo planes flew in supplies and troops began distributing boxes of food to jittery survivors of the Thursday earthquake that destroyed a large part of Juchitan and killed at least 37 people there, as officials on Sunday raised the nationwide death toll to 90.

Some people have continued to sleep outside after the initial magnitude-8.1 earthquake, fearful of more collapses, as strong aftershocks continued to rattle the town, including a magnitude-5.2 jolt early Sunday. Some prompted rescue workers to pause.

Local officials said they had counted nearly 800 aftershocks of all sizes since late Thursday’s big quake, and the US Geological Survey counted nearly 60 with a magni- tude of 4.5 or greater.

Teams of soldiers and federal police officers with shovels and sledgehammers fanned out across neighborhoods in Juchitan to help demolish damaged buildings. Dump trucks choked some narrow streets as they began hauling away the many tons of rubble.

Maria de Lourdes Quintana Lopez said she couldn’t wait for the government’s assistance as she oversaw the demolition of her family candy business’ warehouse.

“We have to work so that we’re not overcome with sadness,” Quintana said. “We’re not going to wait for the government to do what it has to do.”

More than a third of Juchitan’s homes collapsed or are uninhabitable. Part of the city hall collapsed as well.