A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Mexico City Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, killing at least 44 people and leaving multiple people reportedly trapped in collapsed buildings.
Mexico State Gov. Alfredo del Mazo said the quake has killed at least two people in his state, which borders Mexico City. Del Mazo said a quarry worker was killed from a rock slide due to the quake, and another died when after being hit by a falling lamppost.
At least another 42 were killed in the central Mexican state of Morelos, Gov. Graco Ramirez said. Of those who died, 12 were in the city of Jojutla, and four were in the state capital of Cuernavaca.
The epicenter was near the town of Raboso, about 76 miles southeast of Mexico City, according to the USGS.
Thousands of people fled office buildings along the central Reforma Avenue as alarms blared, and traffic came to a halt at the Angel of Independence monument.
Market stall vendor Edith Lopez, 25, said she was in a taxi a few blocks away when the quake struck. She said she saw glass bursting out of the windows of some buildings. She was anxiously trying to locate her children, whom she had left in the care of her disabled mother.
In Mexico City pictures fell from walls, objects were shaken off of flat surfaces and computer monitors toppled over. Some people dove for cover under desks.
Mexico City's international airport tweeted that it has suspended operations following the quake, although it's not immediately clear how many flights have been affected.
President Donald Trump tweeted "God bless the people of Mexico City" after news of the earthquake broke, and added that the U.S. is "with you and will be there for you."
God bless the people of Mexico City. We are with you and will be there for you.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 19, 2017
Earlier in the day buildings across the city held preparation drills on the anniversary of a 1985 quake. That 8.1 quake caused massive damage to parts of the city and left thousands dead.
7.1 magnitude earthquake kills at least 44 in Mexico
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Mexico City Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, killing at least 44 people and leaving multiple people reportedly trapped in collapsed buildings.
Much of Mexico City is built on former lakebed, and the soil is known to amplify the effects of earthquakes even hundreds of miles away.
The quake comes just over a week after Mexico's southern coast was hit by an 8.1 magnitude earthquake about 73 miles off Tres Picos. The quake left at least 58 people dead and prompted tsunami waves and power outages.
The epicenter was 102 miles west of Tapachula in southern Chiapas state, and had a depth of about 21 miles. The quake was so powerful, it sent people fleeing from buildings 650 miles away in Mexico City.
Mexico City after earthquake. pic.twitter.com/qd3VeLslAf
— Jorge Guajardo (@jorge_guajardo) September 19, 2017
The Sept. 8 quake had 62 aftershocks and President Enrique Pena Nieto called it the biggest quake the country has seen in a century.
