墨西哥城7.1級地震，至少217人喪生

The death toll continues to rise following a massive 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Mexico City Tuesday afternoon, collapsing buildings, killing at least 217 people and trapping an unknown number of others in the wreckage.

The head of Mexico's civil defense agency, Luis Felipe Puente, said on Twitter 86 deaths were reported in Mexico City, 71 deaths in Morelos state, 43 in Puebla state, 12 in Mexico state, four in Guerrero state and one in Oaxaca.

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

President Enrique Pena Nieto visited a school in the capital city that collapsed, one of dozens of buildings that fell due to the shaking. 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.

Civilians as well as search and rescue teams went to work trying to find survivors using heavy machinery and bare hands to remove piles of rubble.

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

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.

Tuesday's earthquake was centered near the town of Raboso, in Puebla state. It hit at 1:14 p.m., local time. Puebla Governor Tony Gali reported there also was significant damage in the nearby city of Cholula, where collapsed church steeples fell into the streets.

The earthquake struck exactly 32 years after an 8.0 temblor killed nearly 10,000 people in and around Mexico City.墨西哥首都墨西哥城週二下午發生7.1級強烈地震，建築物倒塌，已知至少217人喪生，還有不知道多少人被困在廢墟當中。

墨西哥民事防禦局負責人在推特上說，墨西哥城有86人喪生，莫雷洛斯州有71人喪生，普埃布拉州43人喪生，墨西哥州有12人喪生，格雷羅州有4人喪生，哈瓦卡州1人喪生。

這次地震震中位於普埃布拉州，在墨西哥城東南123公里處。

墨西哥總統涅託前往墨西哥城一座倒塌的學校視察，墨西哥教育部長說，這所學校有25人不幸遇難，11人獲救，還有30人至今下落不明。

墨西哥總統涅託發表視頻講話說，政府的當務之急是搜救被困在瓦礫下的人，併爲傷員提供醫療救護，他向失去親人的人表示問候，並說墨西哥分享他們的悲哀。

當地媒體報道說，市區很多地方受到破壞，電力供應中斷，還有一些地方起火。墨西哥首都是世界上人口最多的城市之一。

普通民衆和搜救人員都在努力尋找倖存者。從當地電視臺的電視畫面上可以看到，大家利用重刑器械，甚至是雙手，清除一堆堆的瓦礫。

在紐約出席聯合國大會的美國總統川普向墨西哥發出推文表示支持。

他在推文中寫道：“上帝保佑墨西哥城的人民。我們與你們同在，隨時願意提供幫助。”

墨西哥當局下令國際機場暫停運行，學校關閉。

不到兩週前，墨西哥南部剛發生一次地震，有90多人死亡。美國地質調查局說，這兩次地震之間看來沒有關聯。

美國地質調查局的地質專家厄爾說，這兩次地震的震中相隔650公里，而大部分餘震的震中距離都在100公里以內。

星期二地震震中位於普埃布拉州拉沃索城附近，地震發生在當地時間下午1:14分。普埃布拉州州長加里說，附近城市喬盧拉也受到了嚴重破壞，倒塌的教堂尖頂橫在路中間。

整整32年前，墨西哥城附近地區發生過8級地震，大約一萬人死亡。