The destruction revived horrific memories in Mexico on the anniversary of another massive quake in 1985, the deadliest ever. The most gut wrenching scenes were witnessed at the Enrique Rebsamen Primary school, where three floors collapsed onto one, trapping students and teachers inside. More than 250 people were killed in the most powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck causing extensive damage to life and property. The pity is that more than 20 children were crushed beneath the debris and as the elementary school that was reduced to rubble and caused extensive damage and huge loss of young lives. Big earthquakes are always a threat to Mexico. And that is because the country is near the boundary of three fault lines. Fault lines are places where the Earth’s tectonic plates and the masses of crust that form the major continental regions of the planet and hence meet one another. As these plates push and pull against each other, they form massive areas of pressure. Occasionally the rocks in these high-pressure zones rupture or suddenly shift positions. The resulting release of energy forms a wave that propagates throughout the globe. Mexico suffers because of the nature’s fury and the present one made children and teachers go here and there for survival. It is time for relief and rehabilitation.
Chitra Rugmini Krishnan
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
