The powerful 7.1 magnitude quake in Mexico left more than 230 people dead and dozens of buildings collapsed

The US Geological Survey predicted up to 1,000 fatalities will come from the earthquake, and an economic impact of between US$1bn and $10bn.

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake rocked central Mexico on Tuesday September 19^th, killing at least 230 people. Struck at 1.15pm local time (7.15pm BST) with epicenter 120 km from Mexico City, it was the second earthquake to hit Mexico in the past two weeks (on Sept. 7^th, a 8.1 magnitude quake in the south of the country killed nearly 100 people). As it occurred at the shallow depth of 51 kilometers (32 miles), it was very powerful: actually the most powerful since the one which hit Mexico City on Sept. 19^th in 1985, killing an estimated 9,500 people in and around the city.

Dozens of buildings turned into dust and debris, including more than 40 in Mexico City alone. An elementary school in the capital partially collapsed, trapping several children and adults, while at least 21 of them have been reported dead. More than 2,000 public schools suffered damage, with 16 of the 212 affected schools in Mexico City being seriously damaged, the education secretary said. According to Luis Felipe Puente, national coordinator of civil protection for the Interior Ministry, 94 of the deaths were in Mexico City, one of the most populous cities in the Western Hemisphere with more than 21 million people.

Many experienced "very strong" shaking - a 7 (VII) on a 1 (I) to 10 (X) scale of earthquake shaking intensity, while more than 11 aftershocks have been registered, with the strongest reaching magnitude 4. The US Geological Survey predicted up to 1,000 fatalities will come from the earthquake, and an economic impact of between US$1bn and $10bn.

A collapsed building in Mexico City’s Del Valle neighborhood 

A partially collapsed building in Jojutla on September 20, 2017

The quake damaged the Jojutla Municipal Palace