Mexico City Allocates $6M for Earthquake Reconstruction

The government of Mexico City has announced that it will allocate over US$6 million to rebuild areas affected by the Sept. 19 earthquake that pummeled the city and nearby areas. 

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The city's mayor, Miguel Angel Mancera, said his administration will unlock the funds from the municipal budget and use them to help hundreds of affected buildings, including schools.

"Since this weekend, we have started with a very important task: we are going to work on 422 schools in Mexico City that require repair," Mancera said during a press conference.

Mancera said that thousands of students who attend those schools "have not returned to classes."

He added that eight shelters in the city are still working, housing at least 137 people. With its own resources, the administration will confront different problems stemming from the earthquake, "since we can't lose time" waiting for federal resources.

"If Mexico City doesn't have these resources, we would be condemned at least until the next cycle, if not until some initial part of next year to make these repairs," he said.

Mancera is in talks with Mexico's Ministry of Public Education to help stabilize the situation.

The 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit the State of Mexico, Morelos, Puebla, Guerrero and Oaxaca, killing 369 people and bringing down 38 buildings in the capital. Some 2,273 homes were destroyed and another 5,765 were affected.