The Head of Government of Mexico City (CDMX), Claudia Sheinbaumclarified why The seismic alert was activated in certain areas of the Mexican capital without the seismological services registering any telluric movement.
In a press conference — which was interrupted due to the notice of the supposed alert —, the president indicated that said activation was a consequence of human error happened during review and maintenance of seismic alerts. In this sense, he explained that the sound emanated from more than 800 speakers, although he clarified that not in all municipalities.
“We apologize to everyone. It was part of this review process that is part of the alarms. (…) It’s not that it was a scheduled review process, but that they were maintaining the server”.
Questioned about the actions that the CDMX Government will take in the face of the mistake that generated collective anguish, the capital’s president pointed out: “She has to do a review. Sometimes it is companies that are doing these reviews of these servers. It’s not right for this to happen and the review of public servants, such as companies, must be carried out”.
A few minutes before noon on May 8, users on social networks reported that the seismic alert had been activated at certain points in CDMX, such as the Obrera, Del Valle, Tacuba, Centro, Polanco or Lindavista neighborhoods. However, the uncertainty intensified due to the null pronouncement of the seismological services.
Almost on par with Sheinbaum Pardo, the C5 (Computer Control, Communications and Citizen Contact Command Center) confirmed that the alert was activated accidentally in 851 sites of the capital. In this sense, the Center for Instrumentation and Seismic Recording, AC (Cires AC) clarified that some of the speakers belong to the capital’s dependency, so ruled out that error outside by the Official Seismic Alert System (SASMEX).
Given the uncertainty of an eventual earthquake, the service of SkyAlert denied the detection of some type of movement in the sensors of the National Seismological (SSN): “We have no record of any earthquake in the last few minutes in any part of the country,” he added in a publication on his Twitter account. Twitter.
Meanwhile, the SSN recalled that no seismic alert is under its supervision, for which reason it urged users to report failures that could be registered in some loudspeakers.
Capital Transportation Systems stopped their operations due to the partial activation of seismic alerts. Around 11:50 a.m., the metrobus reported the cessation of circulation of the units to carry out the review protocols; the service was restored few minutes later.
same case with Collective Transport System (SCT) Meterwhich resumed its operations after complying with the Civil Protection (PC) protocols due to the activated seismic alert.
For his part, Omar Garcia Harfuchhead of the Secretary of Citizen Security (SSC), announced the overflight of condors stipulated in the PC statutes.
It is expected that in the next few minutes the C5 will abound in the causes of the inconvenience that generated fear, concern and uncertainty in a large part of the citizenry.