Chiapas and Oaxaca: Historical heritage damaged after the 8.2 quake

On Thursday midnight an 8.2 quake hit Mexico, the hardest quake ever to hit the country since 1932 .

The extent of the damage left by the earthquake which shook the southern part of Mexico is still being assessed. So far, it has been confirmed that 90 people have lost their lives ( 71 in Oaxaca , 15 in Chiapas , and 4 in Tabasco ), the number of provincial cities affected by the quake keeps increasing and historical heritage in both Chiapas and Oaxaca was damaged.

Chiapas

One of the most affected areas is the Cathedral of San Cristóbal de las Casas . Bishop Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel said that the rear of the temple dedicated to La Asunción was severely damaged.

Another church that was blemished after the earthquake is St. Lucia because its "towers were almost destroyed," said the bishop.

In Zinacantán , the facade of the San Lorenzo temple was damaged, and the Tzotzil people have placed candles and incense among the debris.

Chiapas Government reported that 52 temples were severely damaged.

The National Institute of Anthropology and History

( Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia abbreviated INAH ) registered minor damages in four archaeological zones: in Chiapas, in the rooms of the Regional Museum ( Museo Regional ), the Archaeological Museum of Soconusco ( Museo Arqueológico del Soconusco ) and Museum of Los Altos Chiapas ( Museo de los Altos Chiapas ), while there are partial damages in the archaeological zone of Old Church ( Iglesia Vieja ) and affectations in several historical buildings in San Cristóbal de las Casas and Chiapa de Corzo .

Oaxaca

Both Macedonio Alcalá Theater and Juárez Theater were damaged.

However, the anthropologist and director of the Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca , José Luis Noria , said that despite the intensity of the earthquake, the Cultural Center of Santo Domingo "is in optimum conditions and the collections, fortunately, did not suffer any harm," said to EL UNIVERSAL in an interview.

On Twitter, Maria Cristina García Cepeda Mexico's Secretary of Culture wrote in Spanish: “In San Andrés Larráinzar and Zinacantán , Chiapas , we made the inventory of affected heritage buildings.”

With information provided by Fredy Martín EL UNIVERSAL correspondent in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas.

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