Mexico fans' World Cup goal celebrations 'set off earthquake alerts'

REUTERS
Standard Sport18 June 2018

Mexico's first goal of the World Cup did more than just shake Germany to their core, as delirious fans in Mexico City appeared to cause a minor 'earthquake' during the game.

An inspired Mexico held on to beat defending champions Germany 1-0 in a stunning performance at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.

Man of the match Hirving Lozano scored the only goal of the game when he finished a counterattack by drilling a low shot past Manuel Neuer but, in truth, this was a breathtaking team performance.

Lozano was teed up by Javier Hernandez in the 35th minute of the Group F match, and his finish sparks scenes of jubilation in Moscow.

AFP/Getty Images

But the celebrations were not confined to the stadium in Moscow, as the capital of Mexico - Mexico City - experienced man-made shocks due to the actions of supporters.

REUTERS

The official Twitter account of government agency SIMMSA tweeted that an artificial earthquake occurred "possibly by massive jumps" due to goal celebrations after Lozano's effort hit the back of the net.

Sismologia Chile - a Twitter account related to Sismo Detector (Earthquake Detector), an app designed to warn people of impending natural disasters - added soon afterward that their sensors also detected the "artificial earthquake" in real time as the goal went in.

After the match, throngs of fans dressed in green converged around the iconic Angel of Independence monument, bouncing with joy and waving the Mexican flag.

Small groups chanted "Mexico" and "Yes we could!" Some broke into song, including the traditional Cielito Lindo tune best known for its "Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay" chorus.

Car horns blared, whistles were blown and drums beat for hours after the match.

Last November, Mexico's South American neighbours Peru activated earthquake detection software in Lima as fans celebrated Jefferson Farfan's goal against World Cup play-off rivals New Zealand.

Seismology Chile confirmed that the 'earthquake' detection occurred "at the exact moment" of Farfan's goal, and that, apparently, "the emotion of the Peruvians made the application activate" with the "ground vibration generated by the fans".

Additional reporting by the Associated Press.

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