The Big Shake in Puebla!

On a sunny afternoon in September 2017, the ground in Mexico decided to do a big dance! It was an earthquake, and it was a strong one. It happened near a city called Puebla, but it shook many places, even the super big Mexico City. For about 20 seconds, the earth rumbled and rolled, making everything feel wobbly.

When the earth shakes that hard, buildings can get scared and sometimes fall down. Sadly, more than 40 buildings couldn't stand up straight anymore after this big shake. It was a very sad day for many people, and sadly, some people lost their lives. Lots of people also got hurt, and many homes were damaged.

This earthquake happened on a very special day in Mexico. It was the 32nd birthday of another HUGE earthquake that happened a long, long time ago in 1985. People were even practicing what to do in an earthquake just a little while before this one happened! It was like the earth was playing a spooky trick.

Nope! Just 12 days before this big shake near Puebla, there was an even BIGGER earthquake far away off the coast of a place called Chiapas. It's like the earth was having a busy time that month, sending out big shakes in different spots. Scientists study these earthquakes to help keep people safe.