No Thai victim in Mexico earthquake

BANGKOK, Sept 9 (TNA) -- There is no Thais among victims of the massive earthquake that shook Mexico on Thursday, said a spokeswoman of the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry. Approximately 100 Thais are now residing in Mexico, most of them students and officials of the Thai embassy, the spokeswoman said. According to foreign news report, an earthquake with the magnitude of 8.1 struck the southern coast of Mexico late Thursday, killing at least 61 people. It triggered small tsunami waves and damaged some buildings. The report said the quake was stronger than the 1985 tremor that flattened swathes of Mexico City and killed thousands. The epicenter of Thursday’s earthquake was 87 km southwest of the town of Pijijiapan in the southern state of Chiapas, at a depth of 43 miles. Simultaneously, the Thai embassy in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, quoted an announcement issued by the Defence Ministry as alerting New Zealanders that a tsunami near the Chatham Islands, Pegasus Bay, on the north of Hawke’s Bay and East Cape, could occur following a massive earthquake in Mexico. However, there is no need to evacuate for the time being, said the Thai embassy, adding that Thai citizens and tourists should avoid travelling near those areas and to also closely monitoring the situation. (TNA)