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News > Latin America

Galapagos Islands Evacuate After Mexico Earthquake

  • Authorities monitor the main port of Santa Cruz in Galapagos, Ecuador.

    Authorities monitor the main port of Santa Cruz in Galapagos, Ecuador. | Photo: Emergency Service Galapagos Ecu911

Published 8 September 2017
Opinion

Islanders evacuated after a 8.2 earthquake in Mexico triggered a tsunami warning in Ecuador.

The Galapagos Islands have issued evacuation orders due to a tsunami warning in Ecuador, following the 8.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Mexico and has killed at least 32 people.

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Mexico’s ‘Strongest Earthquake in a Century’: Live Updates

The Emergency Operations Center of Ecuador guided the partial evacuation of the population settled on the islands of San Cristobal, Santa Cruz and Floreana. The main island, Isabela, was completely evacuated, following guidelines of recent drills organized in Galapagos.

The earthquake, considered to be Mexico's strongest in a century, was felt in practically half of the country, from the center to the south, and also in neighboring Central American countries.

Due to its magnitude, a tsunami warning was issued in Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Mexico itself.

2 sectors from the Santa Cruz Island were successfully evacuated in accordance with the contingency plan #SGRGalapagos 1,300 people in safe areas.

#VideovigilanciaECU911 video surveillance was obtained during the evacuation of citizens to safe areas on #Isabela island. No damages are reported.


Authorities also ordered the removal of vessels five miles outside of the harbor and the suspension of electricity in some areas near the coasts.

A few hours after the warning was issued, the Secretariat of Risk Management canceled the tsunami alert for the Galapagos coast through a bulletin published from its Twitter account.

"The tsunami waves generated by this earthquake have already passed and there is no greater threat," the statement said.

It recommended that citizens stay away from the beaches as a precaution.

The Galapagos are located some hundreds of miles away from continental Ecuador and are some of the most important tourist spots in Ecuador.

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