Update: 7.1 earthquake strikes Mexico

5 October 2017

The damage to Mexico City and neighboring states is severe. Thankfully, there are no reports of injuries among Compassion staff or supported children at this time. Some of our church partners in central Mexico are still undergoing professional assessment of their structure’s safety.

The Compassion Mexico field office is working normally, and staff have met a few times to share and pray as they continue to recover emotionally from their experiences during the quake and subsequent aftershocks. One building collapsed just a few blocks from the field office, and many staff live in areas where there is a lot of damage.

Please continue to pray for all those impacted by this second quake, as well as Compassion field staff who are working tirelessly to support church partners after both earthquakes.

26 September 2017

One week after the 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit near Mexico City, residents are recovering a sense of normalcy. The Compassion Mexico field office re-opened yesterday. 

Five of our church partners and 13 Compassion-supported children have been directly impacted. Some of the projects are still waiting for the civil protection authority to conduct structural assessments. Compassion Mexico’s disaster response team is assessing the individual needs of affected church partners and families and will address them in their earthquake response plans.

Compassion Mexico will keep us updated as more information becomes available.

22 September 2017

Damage from Tuesday’s earthquake has been devastating in Mexico City and the surrounding states. The death toll has risen to 273 as rescuers race against the clock to reach trapped survivors.

The latest reports show that four of our church partners have been affected. Other church partners in the area are waiting for civil protection to assess the safety of their facilities before resuming programme activities. To date, there have been no reports of affected children but the assessment is ongoing. 

The Compassion Mexico office remains closed as we wait for confirmation from the civil protection authority that it is safe. A few staff are working from home as they are able, but normal operations have been paused. Many are still recovering from the stress of the event and are spending time with their families or volunteering with relief efforts.

Please keep praying for:

• Rescue teams as the search continues for those trapped in the rubble.
•  Those who have lost loved ones and homes in the disaster.
• Comfort and peace for our Mexican field staff as they process this disaster.
• Grace and patience for our church partners as they wait for their buildings to be assessed.

21 September 2017

Current reports indicate that 30 Compassion projects are located in the most affected areas. Our field staff are making contact with our church partners in Mexico City, Puebla, Veracruz, Tlaxcala and surrounding areas.

The Compassion Mexico office was not damaged and the staff are safe. They left the building at the time of the quake and the office will remain closed until the civil protection authority can assess the building’s safety, which will probably take a couple of days.

National Director of Compassion Mexico, Omar Villagran, explains, “At the moment we have not received information about projects that were directly affected. The response on behalf of the church partners has been very fast and we are thankful to God that so far we have not heard of any project or beneficiary harmed. I have also talked to the areas that were affected during the last earthquake and thankfully they are fine too.

“I would like to ask that you pray for specific points during these difficult times. First, please pray for the hearts of our staff. They saw how buildings collapsed and many people were hurt, so please pray that their faith strengthens in the midst of this difficult situation. Please also pray for the services to go back up soon. There are no phones and no electricity; it makes this situation more complex. And pray that we continue to receive good news that no beneficiaries and church partners were affected.”

The estimated death toll has now risen to 230 with rescue crews continuing the search for survivors. 

rst responders work on removing the rubble of a collapsed building looking for survivors underneath. (AP Photo/Gustavo Martinez Contrera

Please continue to pray for the people of Mexico:

• For those who have lost loved ones and homes in the disaster.
• For those who are struggling to locate family members.
• For the rescue workers who are working tirelessly to release trapped people. Pray that many will be found alive.
• For the Mexican government as they make key decisions and provide emergency relief and shelter. 
• For local churches, including Compassion partner churches – that they would be pillars of strength for their communities during this difficult time. 

20 September 2017

A 7.1 earthquake struck central Mexico on Tuesday, 19 September, at 1:14pm local time. The epicentre is southwest of Puebla and at least 217 people are confirmed dead. Damage is severe and power, internet and phone services are inconsistent throughout the region, including Mexico City.

The quake struck exactly 32 years after a quake killed thousands in Mexico City and less than two weeks after a 8.1 magnitude tremor in the south left at least 90 dead. Emergency workers and volunteers have been working through the night to search the rubble of collapsed buildings for trapped people. 

At the moment the only information we have is that the Mexico Compassion country office building did not sustain damage. We will update this newsfeed as soon as more details are available. We will contact you directly if your sponsored child has been affected.