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Rescue Work Continues After Tuesday's Mexico City Earthquake

by VOA News

   Rescue workers searched Wednesday in Mexico City and nearby states in
   hopes of finding survivors of a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that killed at
   least 225 people and collapsed dozens of buildings.

   Interior Minister Miguel Osorio Chong said Mexican armed forces and
   police will continue working until they exhaust all possibilities of
   finding more people alive.

   Civilians joined search and rescue teams shortly after the earthquake
   struck Tuesday, using heavy machinery and their bare hands to remove
   piles of rubble.

   The epicenter of the quake was in Puebla, 123 kilometers southeast of
   Mexico City.

   Ken Hudnut, a science adviser with the U.S. Geological Survey in
   Pasadena, California, said Mexico City's geology probably contributed
   to the building collapses.

   "Some of the buildings are on old lake beds, and that can amplify the
   shaking and cause the shaking to last longer, and that can make for
   more damage," Hudnut told VOA.

   The Israeli military said it would send a team of 70 people to help
   with rescue efforts by providing engineering assistance. Israeli
   military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said the team will help survey
   buildings to determine their damage and safety levels.

   Rescue operations
   President Enrique Pena Nieto visited a three-story school in the
   capital city that collapsed and was the site of one of the rescue
   operations. Mexico's education secretary, Aurelio Nuno, said 25 people
   were killed at the school, while 11 others were rescued and 30 were
   missing.

   Pena Nieto also issued a video address saying the government's
   priorities are rescuing those trapped by the earthquake and getting
   medical aid to the injured. He expressed condolences to those who lost
   a loved one and said Mexico shares in their grief.

   Local media reported extensive damage, power outages and fires
   throughout Mexico City, one of the most populous urban areas in the
   world.

   U.S. President Donald Trump sent a message of support for Mexico from
   New York, where he is attending the U.N. General Assembly.

   Trump tweeted: "God bless the people of Mexico City. We are with you
   and will be there for you."

   Mexican authorities suspended operations at the international airport
   and closed schools.

   Pope Francis acknowledged the victims of the earthquake during an open
   prayer Wednesday in St. Peter's Square, saying he wanted to "express my
   closeness and prayer to the dear Mexican people."

   Series of quakes
   The quake hit less than two weeks after another earthquake killed more
   than 90 people in the country's south. The U.S. Geological Survey said
   the two quakes appeared to be unrelated.

   USGS seismologist Paul Earle said the two epicenters are 650 kilometers
   apart and most aftershocks are within 100 kilometers.

   The earthquake struck exactly 32 years after an 8.0 temblor killed
   nearly 10,000 people in and around Mexico City.

   ^Victor Beattie contributed to this report