September 19, 2017 Earthquake | Mexico City Building Nearly Collapses
September 19, 2017, will remain etched in the collective memory of Mexicans as one of the most tragic and emotional days of recent decades. Exactly 32 years after the devastating 1985 earthquake, Mexico City was shaken again, this time by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that caused death, destruction, and a wave of national solidarity.
One of the most dramatic moments of that day was the partial collapse of se
The building on the brink of collapse
The building, a six-story office building located on Álvaro Obregón Street, began to creak violently seconds after the earthquake began. Witnesses report that the walls immediately cracked and the concrete began to fall as if it were a controlled demolition.
“The windows were exploding, the building was moving from side to side as if it were made of paper. I thought we wouldn't get out alive,” said a survivor who managed to evacuate via the stairs moments before the partial collapse.
Minutes later, the building's central structure gave way, partially collapsing. Many of the occupants were trapped in the rubble.
veral buildings in different parts of the city, including one located in the Roma Sur neighborhood, which was on the verge of collapsing before the terrified eyes of the citizens.