Quake-Hit Town Weighs Safety Against Economy

Calexico's city manager says the earthquake-damaged business district is unsafe and should remain closed until the weekend so repairs can be made.

City Manager Victor Carrillo said business owners are pressuring him to remove the police tape and allow stores to reopen. The City Council is expected to decide on the matter Tuesday night. Officials expect to have an overall tally of the damage Tuesday.

Carrillo said that historic buildings with badly damaged facades pose a danger.

Calexico was the U.S. city hit hardest by the 7.2-magnitude quake centered in Mexico's Baja California peninsula, where two people died.

On Monday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Imperial County, where telephone communications were disrupted, roads roads, water mains broke and critical water storage facilities were damaged.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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