A strong earthquake has struck central Mexico, killing at least 226 people and toppling dozens of buildings in the capital, Mexico City.

President Enrique Peña Nieto said more than 20 children had died and 30 were missing after a school collapsed.

The 7.1 magnitude quake also caused major damage in neighbouring states.

The tremor struck while many people took part in an earthquake drill exactly 32 years after a quake killed thousands in Mexico City.

The country is prone to earthquakes and earlier this month an 8.1 magnitude tremor in the south left at least 90 dead.

The epicentre of the latest quake was near Atencingo in Puebla state, about 120km (75 miles) from Mexico City, with a depth of 51km, the US Geological Survey said.

The death toll of 226 was confirmed on Twitter by the country's national co-ordinator for civil protection. It includes at least 55 people killed in Morelos state, south of the capital, and 39 reported killed in Puebla state. One hundred and seventeen are also confirmed dead in Mexico City, with another 12 in Mexico State, and three dead in Guerrero.

About two million people in the capital were without electricity and phone lines were down. Officials also warned residents not to smoke on the streets as gas mains could have been ruptured.

Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera told TV network Televisa that rescue services were dealing with collapsed or badly damaged buildings at 44 locations.

President Peña Nieto said more than 20 children and two adults had been found dead at the collapsed Enrique Rebsamen school in Mexico City's southern Coapa district. He said another 30 children and eight adults were missing.

A six-storey blocks of flats, a supermarket and a factory were also said to be among the collapsed buildings in the city.

As darkness fell, searchlights were brought in to help rescuers work through the night.

Media captionThe strong quake was felt in the capital, Mexico City
In a televised address, the president said an emergency had been declared for the affected areas and the military was being drafted in to help with the response.

"We may still find people under the rubble. Stay in touch, follow lines of communication, we will keep people updated," he said.

Image copyrightAFP
Image captionRescuers and volunteers tried to find survivors under the debris of collapsed buildings
Across Mexico City, teams of rescue workers and volunteers clawed through the rubble with picks, shovels and their bare hands.

"My wife is there. I haven't been able to communicate with her," said Juan Jesus Garcia, 33, choking back tears next to a collapsed building.

"She is not answering and now they are telling us we have to turn off our mobile phones because there is a gas leak."

The earthquake drill was being held in Mexico City on the 32nd anniversary of a quake that killed up to 10,000 people.

Earthquake alarms did sound, correspondents say, but some residents apparently thought they were part of the day of drills.

Mexico City is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, with more than 20 million people living in the metropolitan area.

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There's a building with a gas leak and people under the rubble. The desperation here is mounting.

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The prolonged tremor hit at 13:14 local time (18:14 GMT) and sent thousands of residents into the streets.

Jennifer Swaddle, a teacher at the British International School in Mexico City, told the BBC that part of her classroom collapsed after the earthquake hit.

"Something that started as a tremor quickly escalated into something where the classroom shook," she said.

"As we were leaving, the outside of my classroom wall fell, so there was a big pile of rubble. Luckily, fantastically, nobody was hurt, but it was incredibly frightening."




 
Media captionPhone footage shows the damage caused by the earthquake in Mexico
Panic on the streets

By Juan Paullier, BBC News, Mexico City

Mexico City is a city all too used to earthquakes. But this tremor, on the anniversary of another one that left thousands dead in 1985, was especially powerful.

It sent thousands of people into the streets, trembling, shaking, crying, and trying to reach their loved ones by phone.

As time passes it is becoming clear that there are going to be many victims. In the capital alone, about 30 buildings collapsed.

In one of the worst-affected areas I saw dozens of people desperately removing rubble because they believed someone was trapped.

Alfredo del Mazo Maza, governor of the State of Mexico, said schools would be closed on Wednesday. He also ordered all public transport to operate services for free so that people could travel home.

Foreign leaders sent messages of support to Mexico as the scale of the disaster became clear.

US President Donald Trump, who has courted controversy with his plans for a border wall with Mexico, tweeted: "God bless the people of Mexico City. We are with you and will be there for you."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also tweeted his support following the "devastating news".

Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis, in New York for the UN General Assembly, expressed his "solidarity" with the Mexican people.

SOURCE: http://www.ngg.ng/2017/09/20/breaking-news-powerful-earthquake-topples-buildings-killing-over-200-in-mexico-photosvideo/

@lalasticlala FP please and lets pray for Mexico

more photos...

May the souls of those departed rest in peace. Amen

We are just blessed in this part of the world that we are suffering only from man-made affliction. If all these natural disasters affect us eh! Only God knows.


Rip to the dead.

What's all this natural disasters this year

Even Africa got theirs... Cos flooding and mudslide is a terrible disaster

So help us God....

So sad.

end of time

All the best for the Mexicans

May God shield everyone of us from all this natural disasters o

Rip to the dead...
Rip in advance to the living

Signs of the last days

Imagine such hitting the African continent!

Africa is the most lucky continent yet we commit the worst crimes.


May their souls RIP

My only message. ....Repent!!!!!The signs are so clear. ..

Oh no, it's so sad

endrin:
wow.

gist me more here.

Natural disaster everywhere.... Hurricane, earthquake etc...

Are this signs of....... No it can't be.

Thank God for our stable continent Africa

Meanwhile... RIP to the dead

The world is gradually coming to an end ??

It is well

Wow

Nawa oo, bad news everywhere, everyday

zinachidi:
We are just blessed in this part of the world that we are suffering only from man-made affliction. If all these natural disasters affect us eh! Only God knows.


Rip to the dead.

we are our own disaster.

The wonderful God!

I Need someone to blame for these...






Anyway, let me jst blame buhari afterall he is right now close to mexico

The 7.1 magnitude quake is very big quake.

Sorry to the affected people.

Thank God we don't have such natural disaster in Africa. It would have been catastrophic situation. We in Africa that have senseless unserious "leaders".

Rest on in Heavenly bliss,
Amen.

God have mercy

Thinking out loud: probably if we experienced natural disasters as such our leaders and all of us would have grown some problem solving sense and being proactive..

Rather than steal billions we would as a country be solving problems/issues