August 2, 1968 Earthquake: Oaxaca, Guerrero, Mexico

1968 Aug 02, 14:06 UTC, 16.6 N 97.7 W, depth 40 km. Strong earthquake whose epicentre was situated on the coast of Oaxaca; at Pinotepa Nacional, 5 per cent of houses were destroyed and 50 per cent had to be demolished; however, modern brick houses with vertical linkage in concrete stood up well. At Ometepec four were killed and there was severe damage; slight damage was reported from Jalapa and Cuernavaca. A slight tsunami was recorded at Acapulco. Once again, Mexico City, although situated at 370 km from the focus, suffered appreciable damage, particularly in the Reforma area: some large buildings suffered severely, although the acceleration was weak (0.02g) with a period of oscillation of 2.0 s. There were 3 killed and about forty injured; 10 buildings were destroyed. walls were cracked, partitions collapsed; in many parts of the city the electricity supply was interrupted, traffic lights stopped working, causing huge traffic jams; in contrast, those parts of the city built on higher ground hardly felt the shock. The damage caused by this earthquake has been estimated at $2.4 million [1,4]. (reference #1039)

1968 August 2. Oaxaca, Mexico. This damaging shock caused 18 fatalities and extensive property damage in the State of Oaxaca and in Mexico City. In Mexico City, many structures, including a nine-story office building, were damaged beyond repair. The shock disrupted telephone and electric services and caused general panic in many towns. (reference #45)

1968 Aug 02, 14:06:43.71 UTC, 16.519 N 97.739 W, magnitude 7.3 Mw, depth 25 km (reference #10476, version 9.0)

1968 Aug 02, 14:06:43.9 UTC, 16.6 N 97.7 W, magnitude 7.4 Ms (reference #3837)

Oaxaca, Mexico, August 2, 1968, 14h06m43.9S, 16.6 N 97.7 W, focal depth about 40 km (USCGS). "The earthquake killed 4 persons in Mexico City and 4 more in the epicentral region (coast of the State of Oaxaca, about 100 miles SE of Acapulco) [...] Damage was estimate at $2.4 million (Press). (reference #13231)