A 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit central Mexico Tuesday, killing at least 119 people, according to the most recent reporting by Reuters, and damaging buildings across the region, including in densely-packed Mexico City.
The scene unfolded nearly instantaneously online as it did on the ground, with social media accounts broadcasting pictures and video around the world of the buildings shaking and cracking, as people ran for cover.
Mexico was alerted to the quake two minutes before the tremors actually hit. This video of its early warning system show sensors along the coastline activating sensors all over the country:
Así se vieron los sensores que activaron la #AlertaSísmica hasta llegar a la #CDMX en un tiempo de 130 seg #mmpic.twitter.com/BVoQVYkjOl
— Miguel Ángel Mancera (@ManceraMiguelMX) September 8, 2017
This is what the quake alert sounded like in the streets of Mexico City. A minute into the video, people can be seen fleeing into open spaces away from buildings that are sustaining damage from the earthquake.
Mexico City Earth Quake Alarmhttps://t.co/4lmHTRvz2s
— Daniel Goldberg (@1humano1voto) September 19, 2017
Being outside may have been safe, but it was no less terrifying as glass buildings rocked back and forth while people tried to get away from them.
Momento captado durante el fuerte terremoto en la #CDMX#AlertaSismicapic.twitter.com/NqLf9U2Axm
— Alerta Chiapas (@AlertaChiapas) September 19, 2017
Inside the offices of Milenio, people braced themselves for more than a minute as the earthquake rocked the building.
Así se sintió el sismo en la redacción de https://t.co/yZhRO4eZHBpic.twitter.com/V4694bCDJT
— Milenio (@Milenio) September 19, 2017
The earthquake caused concrete to flake off buildings like a light crust, threatening to crush people as they fled unstable buildings.
https://twitter.com/Serrano_Lorence/status/910211199329095681
After the shaking stopped, the fallout from the quake’s devastation continued, toppling buildings quickly and without warning.
Devastating images from Mexico City. pic.twitter.com/RpF7sUq31s
— Jorge Guajardo (@jorge_guajardo) September 19, 2017
In other instances, you could see the buildings buckling under, before eventually they collapsed. Watch the bottom floor of this building begin to crumble before it sinks into the ground.
BREAKING NEWS: Building collapse this afternoon in Mexico City after magnitude 7.1 earthquake. Video via @Breaking911#Earthquake#Mexicopic.twitter.com/77nxJagUzL
— Mark Tarello (@mark_tarello) September 19, 2017
Downtown Mexico City took heavy damage, with its crowded streets leaving little room for its old buildings to fall without hitting another structure.
Rescue workers & volunteers search a building that collapsed after an earthquake in downtown Mexico City on Tuesday https://t.co/OiOxzx1WOhpic.twitter.com/LLRctBo0hD
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 19, 2017
Drone footage shows both the wreckage and the brave first responders working to find survivors buried in the rubble.
Drone footage shows destruction in Mexico City caused by the 7.1-magnitude earthquake; at least 42 people killed. https://t.co/DcnljWzUDfpic.twitter.com/JYQZYiLKYF
— ABC News (@ABC) September 19, 2017
At ground level, survivors worked together to move rubble and search for people trapped under the remains of buildings.
BREAKING: At least 44 people are dead after a magnitude-7.1 earthquake that struck in Mexico, an official says https://t.co/x6MnIpYfTFpic.twitter.com/3Je769kdhH
— CNN (@CNN) September 19, 2017
Volunteers organized quickly to move debris and find survivors. But it’s sure to be a long night all across Central Mexico.
https://twitter.com/rafafc91/status/910263916554604544