Strong 7 1 magnitude earthquake rocks Mexico

Strong 7 1 magnitude earthquake rocks Mexico



At least 248 people are dead after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit Mexico on Tuesday causing widespread devastation across Mexico City where a school has collapsed.

Twenty children and two adults were confirmed dead after being found in the debris of the Enrique Rebsamen school, with a further 30 children and eight adults still missing as of 2am Wednesday.

The tremor struck near the Puebla state town of Raboso, about 75 miles southeast of Mexico City, and came on the anniversary of another devastating earthquake in 1985.

It also came just days after another 8.1-magnitude earthquake which struck Chipas, killed at least 98 people, and hours after nationwide emergency practice drills.

Horrifying images coming out of the country's capital show rubble strewn across roads and enormous chunks of collapsed buildings laying on the ground with hundreds of terrified locals fleeing onto the streets.

Volunteer rescue worker Pedro Serrano, 29, a doctor, was one of the rescuers who managed to make it inside the collapsed school where he found a classroom with all of the occupants dead. 



'We dug holes, then crawled in on our bellies,' Serrano said.

'We managed to get into a collapsed classroom. We saw some chairs and wooden tables. The next thing we saw was a leg, and then we started to move rubble and we found a girl and two adults - a woman and a man.'

Asked if there was hope of finding anyone alive, Serrano looked weary but said workers were still trying despite the danger.

'We can hear small noises, but we don't know if they're coming from above or below, from the walls above (crumbling), or someone below calling for help.'



On Tuesday night, Donald Trump said on Twitter: 'God bless the people of Mexico City. We are with you and will be there for you.'

His thoughts were echoed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who said he was saddened by the loss of life and damage resulting from the earthquake in Mexico.

He extended his condolences to the government and people of Mexico and wished those injured a speedy recovery, according to a statement released by his spokesman.

The statement said the United Nations stands ready to assist Mexico following the quake, which has killed at least 139 people and devastated central Mexico.

Meanwhile, the government of Mexico has declared a state of disaster in Mexico City, freeing up emergency funds.

President Enrique Pena Nieto said he had ordered all hospitals to open their doors to the injured after the magnitude 7.1 quake.

As of late Tuesday 40 percent of Mexico City and 60 percent of Morelos state have no electricity, he said.

Pena Nieto also said that 20 children and two adults had died at a school that collapsed in the nation's capital.

Pena Nieto visited the school late Tuesday. He said in comments broadcast online by Financiero TV that 30 children and eight adults were still reported missing.

Rescue workers were continuing to search and listening for sounds from the rubble. 

In a video message to the country, Pena Nieto urged the Mexican people to remain calm, and said that while many would need help, authorities had to focus on those trapped in wrecked buildings.

'The priority at this moment is to keep rescuing people who are still trapped and to give medical attention to the injured people,' he said.



Nominations for the Latin Grammy Awards have been postponed after both the earthquake and the aftermath of hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

Latin Recording Academy President Gabriel Abaroa Jr said in a statement Tuesday that the delay comes 'as an outgrowth of the terrible and tragic recent natural disasters.'

Nomination announcements had been scheduled for Wednesday. No new date has been chosen yet.

Abaroa said the academy's 'thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by these catastrophic events and ones that may come.'

The Latin Grammy Awards ceremony is still scheduled for Nov. 16 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with a live telecast on Univision.



Although Mexico City was badly hit in the earthquake, it wasn't the only area affected.

In the town of Jojutla in southern Morelos state, which was close to the epicenter of Tuesday's magnitude 7.1 quake, 12 people died a buildings - including the town hall and local church - collapsed.

The Instituto Morelos secondary school partly collapsed, but school director Adelina Anzures said the students were prepared as they had held an earthquake drill just two hours previously.

'I told them that it was not a game, that we should be prepared,' Anzures said of the drill. When the quake came, she said the children and teachers rapidly filed out.

'[The school] fell and everything inside was damaged,' she said. Nobody was hurt.



At around 7pm, people were using shopping carts from a nearby supermarket to carry away rubble in one Mexico City neighborhood after three apartment buildings collapsed on the same stretch of street.

Valerie Perez

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