Mexico quake death toll rises to seven
The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck southern Mexico has increased to seven, the Oaxaca state said on Wednesday.
The 7.4-magnitude quake, that was followed by a lot more than 1,500 aftershocks, was felt on Mexico City, some 700 kilometers away from the epicentre on Oaxaca.
It sent persons fleeing their homes and workplaces, and even forced the closure of an oil refinery.
"My condolences - right now, there are seven deaths in Oaxaca express," Governor Alejandro Murat said in an interview with Milenio TV.
Murat added that 2,000 homes have been damaged.
First responders were still attempting to remove debris from a highway, he added.
Previously, the national civil safety coordinator, David Leon, said 23 persons have been injured in the quake.
Mexican Essential oil said its refinery on Salina Cruz on Oaxaca had been turn off as a precaution after a fire broke away at the plant "that was immediately stifled."
One of the dead from the earthquake was a worker in the refinery, who was simply killed after falling off a higher structure. - AFP
