Death Toll From Quake Rises to 18

The death toll from a powerful earthquake that rattled south-central Mexico has risen to 18, but many officials expressed relief as it became clear that the damage from the magnitude-6.7 temblor was not as widespread as feared. Officials said 13 people died in the state of Puebla and one each in Oaxaca, Veracruz and Morelos. In the capital, two people died after the quake of heart attacks apparently triggered by fear. President Ernesto Zedillo visited Puebla for the second consecutive day Wednesday, saying he mourned for the dead but gave thanks that the loss of life and damage were not greater. “Given the intensity of the quake, we are fortunate,” he told the Televisa television network.