Strong earthquake 7.1 magnitude shakes Mexico

On the anniversary of a deadly 1985 earthquake, central Mexico again shook with terrifying force on Tuesday, as a 7.1-magnitude temblor caused buildings to tremble and collapse. At least 49 people were reported killed.

Just hours after a siren signaled an annual earthquake drill in Mexico City, the ground began to shake, walls buckled and residents fled into the streets. There were reports of fires and gas leaks.

At least 42 people were killed in the central state of Morelos, according to a tweet from the governor, Graco Ramirez. At least five more people died in the state of Mexico, which surrounds the capital, according to media reports quoting its governor, Alfredo del Mazo. Two others died in the central state of Puebla after a school collapsed, said Fernando Clemente, a civil protection official in the state, Reuters reported.

Several people were pulled alive from rubble in the Mexican capital, but others were feared trapped. Local radio in the city of Cuernavaca, the capital of Morelos located about 35 miles south of Mexico City, also reported that people were pinned beneath collapsed buildings there, according to Reuters. A major highway connecting Cuernavaca to Mexico City also appeared badly damaged, according to photos circulating on social media.

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