Mexico earthquake: Death toll surges to 248

At least 248 people, including 117 in the capital, were killed by a powerful earthquake that rocked Mexico on Tuesday, the authorities have said.

At least 21 children crushed beneath a primary school that collapsed on Mexico City's south side when the deadly earthquake of 7.1-magnitude hit Mexico. President Enrique Pena Nieto, who rushed to the site, warned the toll could rise.

The quake came hours after the country participated in emergency drills to mark the 32nd anniversary of the 1985 tremblor that killed thousands.

The emergency services are carrying out rescue operations in the areas affected in the disaster.

Several buildings collapsed, electricity supply was cut off and mobile networks were interrupted, sending waves of panic through the streets of the country’s capital. The Mexican government has declared a state of disaster in Mexico City, reported news agency AP.

As night fell, thousands of troops were working in the dozens of dilapidated buildings here. On Monterey Street, near the Miguel Aleman Viaduct one of the city's main thoroughfares, a building with at least four floors has collapsed completely.

At least a hundred soldiers, fire-fighters and civil defence officers using shovels and picks and buckets were busy removing the debris, working arduously against the clock to get the alive out from under the rubble.

The Dog Squads were also pressed into service.

“We pull out debris and work in a line, and when they ask you to be quiet, you remain silent. If applause is heard, we start to get the person out”, a young man explained.

Emergency teams are trying hard to rescue people trapped in collapsed buildings here but traffic chaos has made it difficult for ambulances to get through as fears of new quakes has further panicked people.

Director of the National Centre for Disaster Prevention (Cenapred), Carlos Valdes, ruled out the possibility of strong aftershocks due to the depth of the epicentre at 57 km.

Tuesday's quake follows the 8.2-magnitude quake on September 7, that killed 98. It was considered the strongest since 1932.

Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto has appealed to people to remain calm in the aftermath of the earthquake.

With inputs from news agencies