Earthquake with a 4.4-magnitude detected in Mexican resort city

A 4.4-magnitude earthquake was detected in the resort city of Zihuatanejo, northwest of Acapulco, in the Mexican state of Guerrero just hours after being hit by Hurricane Otis.

The storm is the strongest to make landfall on the country’s west coast, having gone from Category 1 to a Category 5 storm in only 12 hours — the fastest rate ever recorded in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

Alert levels varied in different regions, with the National Civil Protection Group advising residents to follow local recommendations accordingly. According to the body, the 4.4-magnitude quake was recorded 28km south-east of Zihuatenjo.

The eye of the storm made landfall close to the resort town of Acapulco with winds of 165mph. Forecasters described it as “a nightmare scenario” for southern Mexico.

Videos from the scene showed palm tress stripped bare of their leaves and badly damaged buildings including a hospital and shopping centre. The storm also triggered landslides, with images showing rescue workers helping those caught up in the slips.

By Wednesday morning the storm had lost power and was downgraded to a Category 2 as it moved into Guerrero state. But high winds, torrential rain and flooding were still posing serious threats to the region. It was later downgraded to a tropical storm.

Despite the downgrades ver a third of electric customers in Guerrero were left without power after being battered by the brutal conditions.

Comisión Federal de Electricidad, the state-owned Mexican electrical provider company, said more than 504,000 residents had woken up without power but they managed to restore 40 per cent of its customers.

A team of 846 electrical workers, 96 cranes, 347 vehicles, 26 emergency plants and 1 helicopter assisted in the company’s quick response to the power outages.

The National Civil Protection Group continued to post updates advising residents affected by the storms on the best course of action, and providing information on how to access aid.