A 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck western Mexico on Monday, damaging infrastructure and killing at least one person. The quake’s epicenter was located off the coast near the states of Michoacan and Colima, and could be felt as far away as Mexico City, 300 miles east of where the temblor originated.

Two other historic earthquakes in the country also occurred on Sept. 19, killing thousands of people, the worst of which was in 1985 and then again in 2017. Direct Relief responded to the earthquake in 2017 in Morelos, Mexico, and has staff in Mexico assessing damage from the most recent event.

The organization has a long history of responding to earthquakes, and the attendant health concerns beyond acute trauma injuries. Health issues are often caused by displacement to shelters or outdoor living as aftershocks continue, lack of access to chronic disease medications needed to manage health, and lack of electricity needed to power medical devices and keep health facilities running and operational for their communities.

Direct Relief has reached out to local and federal response agencies to offer assistance if needed.