"So far, there was no report of any Indonesian victim. The Indonesian Embassy will continue its coordination with the local authority," Director of Indonesian Citizens Protection of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said here, Friday.
The Indonesian Embassy to Mexico has issued a warning to Indonesians living in Mexico to stay alert and keep their communication lines open.
Data from the Indonesian Embassy showed that currently there are 289 Indonesians living in Mexico, 190 of them in Mexico City.
An earthquake of magnitude 8.1 struck off the southern coast of Mexico late Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, killing at least five people, triggering small tsunami waves and damaging some buildings.
The quake was stronger than the devastating 1985 tremor that flattened swathes of Mexico City and killed thousands, but initial reports of the damage in the city were limited.
The epicenter of the earthquake was 54 miles (87 km) southwest of the town of Pijijiapan in the southern state of Chiapas, at a depth of 43 miles. Three people were killed in the state, said Governor Manuel Velasquez. Two more people were killed in neighboring Tabasco state, the state governor added.
The quake triggered waves as high as 2.3 ft (0.7 m) in Mexico, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. It warned that widespread, hazardous tsunami waves were possible within three hours. However, there was no tsunami threat for American Samoa and Hawaii, according to the U.S. Tsunami Warning System.
People in the capital, Mexico City, one of the worlds largest cities, ran out onto the streets in pajamas, and alarms sounded after the quake struck just before midnight, a Reuters witness mentioned.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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