250 Dead and 21 Children Crushed In Powerful Mexico Earthquake

At least 250 people, including 117 in the capital, were killed by a powerful earthquake that rocked Mexico on Tuesday, the authorities have said. The dead included at least 21 children crushed beneath a primary school that collapsed on Mexico City’s south side during the 7.1-magnitude quake, they said. President Enrique Pena Nieto, who rushed to the site, warned the toll could rise.

The destruction revived horrific memories in Mexico on the anniversary of another massive quake in 1985, the disaster-prone country’s deadliest ever.

One of the most gut-wrenching scenes was at the Enrique Rebsamen primary school on Mexico City’s south side, whose three floors collapsed into one, trapping students and teachers inside. Twenty-one children and four adults were killed, said deputy education minister Javier Trevino.