Rescuers
searched for survivors through the night after Tuesday’s powerful
earthquake shook Mexico City and surrounding states, killing scores and
leaving many trapped under collapsed buildings.
At
least 226 people died in Mexico City, the country’s capital and
in the states of Puebla, Mexico and Morelos, officials said.
The
epicenter of the 7.1-magnitude earthquake was 2.8 miles (4.5
kilometers) east-northeast of San Juan Raboso and 34.1 miles (55 km)
south-southwest of the city of Puebla, in Puebla state, according to the
US Geological Survey.
President
Enrique Peña Nieto said 22 bodies were found in the debris of an
elementary school in Mexico City that collapsed due to the earthquake.
At least 30 children were still missing Tuesday night, he said.
“We are facing a new national emergency,” Peña Nieto told citizens earlier on his first address following the earthquake
Thousands
of soldiers, rescuers and civilians, including college students, have been
working side by side to dig through tall piles of rubble after dozens of
buildings crumbled earlier on Tuesday.
Some
carried away buckets full of debris while others called out the names
of those who have been rescued. At moments, rescuers asked for total
silence as they tried to hear voices coming from under the debris.
The
quake left the busiest city in Mexico in chaos. Windows buckled and
shattered, falling several stories to the ground while thousands of
people streamed into the streets running away from buildings and
potential gas leaks.
People
struggled to get home when power poles that toppled in the quake blocked
the streets and the public transportation system temporarily shut down
operations. Nearly 5 million customers were still without power early
Wednesday.A few moments earlier,
an earthquake drill was held in the capital. Two weeks ago, a
magnitude-8.1 earthquake struck off the country’s southern coast.
This earthquake
happened 32 years after a magnitude-8.0 earthquake hit on September 19,
1985, killing an estimated 9,500 people in and around Mexico City.
All
public and private schools in Mexico City and some of the states
affected by the earthquake will remain closed until further notice,
Education Minister Aurelio Nuño tweeted.
Tuesday’s earthquake took place on the anniversary of a devastating earthquake that killed thousands in Mexico City in 1985. Just hours before the quake hit, many people took part in drills and commemorative events.
“God bless the people of Mexico City. We are with you and will be there for you,” US President Donald Trump tweeted.