Argentine Quake Kills 6, Injures 110
An earthquake registering 5.8 on the Richter scale shook the western province of Mendoza early Saturday, toppling buildings and leaving six dead and at least 110 injured, civil defense officials reported.
The quake’s epicenter was in Godoy Cruz, south of Mendoza, the provincial capital, and 700 miles west of Buenos Aires. A local hospital, built from adobe in 1895, collapsed, injuring about 50 patients, a civil defense statement said.
Killed by collapsing buildings were a 6-year-old girl, a 15-year-old boy, and two adults. Two other people reportedly died of heart attacks.
The quake hit at 2:07 a.m. A second, smaller tremor struck the area at 7 a.m. but no further damage was reported.
The worst earthquake to strike the province was in March, 1861, when 4,247 people died.
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