The Mexico City earthquake alarm goes off by mistake during maintenance

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MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico City’s earthquake early warning system on Monday accidentally went off during maintenance work, sending panicked residents into the streets in anticipation of an earthquake that turned out to be a false alarm.

Reuters witnesses heard the alarm in different parts of the city and saw residents emerge from offices, apartment buildings and even a hospital.

Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Twitter that the alarm had been activated, but there were no reports of an actual earthquake and the ground in the giant city had not yet started shaking.

The Mexico City government said on Twitter minutes later: “Due to a fault caused by maintenance work, the seismic alarm has been activated by mistake at 851 locations in Mexico City. We apologize for the inconvenience and impact of this incident.”

Earthquakes frequently rock Mexico City, sometimes with deadly consequences, and the seismic warning system often gives residents precious seconds to head to a safe area before the shaking starts.

Reporting by the Mexico City Newsroom; Editing by David Alier Garcia

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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