Massive 7.1 magnitude earthquake hits Mexico, killing over 100

MEXICO CITY — A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 struck Mexico at 1:15 pm on Tuesday afternoon, toppling buildings, rattling the capital and sending people flooding into the streets for the second time in just two weeks after the devasting and stronger 8.1 magnitude on September 8 in the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca. New York Times reported that Tuesday’s earthquake struck on the 32nd anniversary of another major disaster: the 1985 quake that killed as many as 10,000 people in Mexico. Hours before the quake hit, many people even took part in drills and commemorative events on the anniversary of the devastating 1985 earthquake.

Officials in Mexico City – home to over 20 million people – said that more than 40 buildings collapsed including at least two schools. Education Minister Aurelio Nuño tweeted “all public and private schools in Mexico City are canceled until further notice.” He said schools in the states of Puebla and Guerrero also are closed.

By night, nearly 140 people had been reported killed, at least 42 from the state of Morelos, close to the epicenter of the quake. The death toll is expected to rise as there are several reports of people still trapped either beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings or inside burning ones.