Santiago Apostol Church in Atzala, Mexico, was hosting a christening for a 2 month old baby girl when the 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit on the 20th of September 2017. The moment of celebration turned into a nightmare for one family who lost 11 of their relatives when the the roof of the church collapsed and killed them instantly. One of those killed was the 2 month old baby girl.
The only survivors in the church were the priest and his assistant, and the baby girl’s father who were all able to move to the outer walls of the church as soon as the shaking started. The rest of the congregation were not able to get away before the roof collapsed. When the quake had subsided people shouted for help and before long local residents were attempting to clear the rubble and release any survivors. After digging for hours they found all 11 relatives had died.
On Wednesday night, the day after the earthquake, 11 coffins were laid side by side out on the street just a few blocks away from the ruins of the church. Adorned with flowers and bearing the names of the dead, the coffins were carried by pallbearers – members of the community – who had attended the funeral. Atzala, a community of 1200 people, is located in Puebla state which was the epicentre of the devastating earthquake. The people of Atzala, including the man who lost his wife, daughter and 2 granddaughters in the church, are struggling to come to terms with this tragedy.
Mexico’s latest earthquake has claimed the lives of more than 250 people. Recovery efforts are continuing although hope of finding any more survivors is starting to fade and the death toll is expected to rise still. Many survivors have been left traumatized by the devastating earthquake, which has left thousands of families homeless. Although aid has been flowing in, many are worried about how they will survive once the shelters close and volunteers return to their normal lives.
Louise Carter
