Mexico City conducted its first earthquake drill of 2026, activating 13,900 loudspeakers across the capital along with mobile phone alerts to prompt residents to evacuate, according to Laura Velázquez, head of the National Civil Protection Coordination.
About 8.2 million people participated in the drill, with the average evacuation time being 1 minute and 52 seconds, according to Mayor Clara Brugada. Two more nationwide drills are set to occur on 6 May and 19 September.
The annual drills commemorate the devastating 8.1-magnitude earthquake that struck the city on 19 September, 1985, killing an estimated 12,000 people, though the exact death toll remains unclear.
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