Earthquake Rocks Mexico City

Image: PHOTO: An expansive view of Mexico City. (photo via Flickr/Kasper Christensen)
Image: PHOTO: An expansive view of Mexico City. (photo via Flickr/Kasper Christensen)
Patrick Clarke
by Patrick Clarke
Last updated: 4:00 PM ET, Tue September 19, 2017

Rescuers continue to search for survivors underneath collapsed buildings in central Mexico following Tuesday's devastating earthquake.

UPDATE: 9:45 a.m. ET 9/21/2017

As of early Thursday, the death toll stemming from this week's 7.1-magnitude earthquake in Mexico has reached 245, according to Yahoo News. Of those victims, 115 died in Mexico City.

More than 1,900 quake victims have received medical attention so far.

UPDATE: 10:40 a.m. ET 9/20/2017

The death toll has climbed to 225 as of Wednesday morning, according to Luis Felipe Puente, National Coordinator of Civil Protection of the Ministry of the Interior.

At least 94 people have died in Mexico City.

Mexico City International Airport reopened Tuesday after crews inspected terminals and runways and flight operations appear to be returning to normal.

According to flight-tracking website FlightAware.com, only 15 scheduled flights for Wednesday have been canceled as of 9:40 a.m. local time. Another 31 flights have been delayed.

The Los Angeles Times reported several airlines are waiving change fees for passengers traveling to, from or through Mexico City.

A spokesperson for the Latin American Travel Association confirmed that the organization remains in "constant contact with our LATA members who have passengers in Mexico and are closely monitoring the situation and working closely with their local ground handlers to ensure the welfare of all visitors," according to The Telegraph.

LATA also said that popular Mexican tourist destinations, including Cancun, Yucatan, Riviera Maya, Riviera Nayarit and Los Cabos were "completely unaffected" by the quake.

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Original Text

A powerful earthquake rocked Mexico City on Tuesday.

At least 200 people were killed in the 7.1 magnitude quake, which was centered in the state of Puebla, about 100 miles away from the capital city.

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Sources are reporting conflicting numbers of fatalities, but at least 200 people have died. The number will likely climb as Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said some people were trapped inside collapsed buildings.

The earthquake affected a number of popular visitor attractions in Mexico City, including creating heavy swells in the normally placid waters at Xochimilco, a popular gathering spot with locals and visitors.

The USGS anticipates "significant casualty and damage are likely and the disaster is potentially widespread."

After the earthquake, the Mexico City International Airport suspended all operations for several hours as crews checked for damage. The airport reopened at 4 p.m., local time, but not before some 160 flights were canceled or delayed, according to a tweet by the airport.

Causing more chaos for the region, Mexico's active Popocatepetl Volcano erupted shortly after the earthquake.

The volcano, which is located just 35 miles from Mexico City, has shown an uptick in activity recently, On Sunday, it reportedly shot a plume up to 3 kilometers in the air. The National Center for Disaster Prevention (cenapred) has advised people to stay at least 12 kilometers away from the volcano. The agency has also set the Volcano Alert System to Yellow Level 2.

Incredibly, Tuesday's quake unfolded on the 32-year anniversary of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake that killed thousands. Earlier on Tuesday, Mexico City held earthquake drills to mark the anniversary.

Tuesday's quake also comes less than two weeks after an 8.2-magnitude quake struck off Mexico's southern coast, killing dozens and causing widespread power outages in parts of the country.


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Patrick Clarke

Patrick Clarke

Senior Editor

A Maryland native and wanderer who has lived across the U.S. from North Carolina to SoCal, Patrick Clarke graduated from Towson University with a B.S. in journalism. He previously worked for Bleacher

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