Direct Relief staff in Mexico City and Oaxaca have joined local rescue efforts following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake centered in Central Mexico that has caused over 200 deaths, building collapses, and major infrastructure damage in Mexico City. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that the quake, which occurred in Central Mexico on September 19th at 1:14 PM local time, was centered near the Puebla state town of Raboso, about 76 miles (123 kilometers) southeast of Mexico City.

Direct Relief immediately reached out to the National Mexican Emergency Operations Committee to extend an offer of medical assistance to health care organizations in the area. Direct Relief is also coordinating with Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) representatives in-country, authorities from the National, State, and local Ministry of Health, as well as the network of clinics and hospitals that Direct Relief Mexico supports on a regular basis.

Hospitals in Mexico City are evacuating patients as a safety precaution against aftershocks. Direct Relief recently deployed an “Emergency Health Kit” to a trauma hospital in southern Mexico City, which contains enough medicines and supplies to treat 1,000 people for a month, and is preparing shipments of critical medicines and medical supplies to scale up its support to health care partners within the country.