Mexico hit by 'strongest earthquake in a century' as magnitude 8.2 tremor triggers tsunami waves

• Magnitude 8.2 earthquake hits off Mexico

• Tsunami waves of 3.3 feet measured ​

• At least 32 dead, including two children

• Frightened Mexico City residents gather in streets

• Blackouts in capital

The strongest earthquake to hit Mexico for decades left at least 32 dead and hundreds injured on Friday, after wreaking destruction on the country’s impoverished south and triggering tsunami alerts around the region.

Rescue workers were struggling to reach isolated rural communities across the worst-hit states of Chiapas and Oaxaca, many of them tucked high in rugged mountains. 

The powerful quake damaged buildings as far away as Mexico City, where the iconic Angel of Independence swayed on its column and millions ran out of their homes amid intense tremors in the middle of the night. 

It was also felt in much of Guatemala, where damage to buildings was reported.

Enrique Peña Nieto, the Mexican president, said the quake had registered a magnitude of 8.2, the strongest the country had suffered in more than a century; the US Geological Survey put it at 8.1.

Mr Peña Nieto reported more than 260 aftershocks up to a magnitude of 6.1, and warned there could be more to come, urging people to stay safe and listen to public announcements. 

Schools were closed in 11 states so officials could inspect the buildings for structural damage.

“According to the latest reports, sadly 32 people have lost their lives and more than 200 have been injured in the earthquake,” Mr Peña Nieto said. “My sincerest condolences to their families.”

Most of the dead were in Oaxaca, where 23 people were killed, 17 of them in the town of Juchitan.

Seven people were also confirmed dead in Chiapas, while the governor of Tabasco said two children had been killed there.  One of them was a baby on life support in hospital, who died when the power to the machine failed.

Almost two million people were left without electricity across the country, with up to 200,000 remaining under blackout on Friday night.

In Juchitan, parts of the town hall, a hotel, a bar and other buildings were reduced to rubble.

The indigenous town has attracted international intention for its traditional embrace of the third gender, with transgenders known as muxes occupying a prominent place in Zapotec communities.

Tsunami waves up to three feet high buffeted the southern coast of Mexico, while alerts were issued for the Central American countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama and Honduras, and as far south as Ecuador.

The alert caused Ecuador to issue an evacuation order for the coasts of the Galapagos Islands; however this was later called off.

Guillermo Rosas, a civil protection officer in the Chiapas state capital of Tuxtla Gutierrez, said the quake was the strongest he had ever felt.

He told the Telegraph that it was the poorest who had been most affected, with flimsily constructed homes being razed to the ground.  Mountain roads were lined with fallen rocks - volunteers were trying to push them out of the way with their bare hands to allow vehicles to pass through.

Chiapas and Oaxaca are the two poorest states in Mexico, with around three-quarters of their populations living in poverty. In Tonalá, Chiapas, one of the hardest hit towns in the area, Samadeni Montero described how her house started to shake late on Thursday night.

“I was inside the house in bed when I began to feel the movement. I thought it would pass quickly, but it grew stronger and stronger. So the first thing I did was to grab my daughter,” she told the news agency EFE.

“All the wires began to swing, the electricity cut out and the sky turned a horrible red colour.”

Like many, she spent the rest of the night sleeping on the ground outside her home, her family too terrified to go back inside.

In Mexico City, tower blocks swayed and lights went out in much of the capital as residents abandoned their homes in their pajamas.

Carlin Crowder, a US expat living in a 28-storey high rise in the east of the city, told CNN: “The building was definitely rocking, me and my neighbours immediately started going down the stairs, there were parents with babies ... it was not my first earthquake in a tall building but definitely a scary one.

"As I was going down the stairs I was gripping the handlebars because it almost felt as if I had had a bunch of alcoholic drinks, which I hadn't, but you just don't have a sure footing and you don't know what's going on."

The US Geological Survey said the quake had its epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, 54 miles (87 km) southwest of the town of Pijijiapan in the impoverished southern state of Chiapas, at a depth of 43 miles.

Mexico regularly experiences tremors but this was the country’s most powerful seismic event since at least 1985, when a devastating 8.0 earthquake killed around 5,000 people in Mexico City.

An 7.9 magnitude earthquake in 1957 claimed the lives of dozens and toppled the city's landmark monument, the Angel of Independence, its fall seen as symbolic of the nation's tragedy.

6:14PM

Evening summary

Mexico and Guatemala are waking up today to widespread damage and dozens of deaths after an earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale hit their Pacific coastline in the early hours of this morning. The quake, which was the strongest in a century, was felt 450 miles away in Mexico City, where buildings were damaged.

These are the key facts:

32 people have died and over 200 people have been injured across Mexico.

At least three children are reported among the dead, including a baby who died after his life support machine lost power when a hospital suffered a power outage.

In Oaxaca, 17 people have died, including ten in the town of Juchitán, where over 100 buildings have collapsed. Deaths were also reported in the states of Chiapas and Tabasco. 

Schools have been closed across the country so that inspectors can assess the damage.

Tsunami warnings were in place along the Pacific coastline and some places have been evacuated as a precaution, but most alerts have now been lifted. 

In Veracruz, on the Gulf of Mexico, residents who have suffered damage caused by the earthquake, are bracing themselves for storm Jose and storm Katia.

All airports in Mexico are functioning without problems today, and all public transport in the capital is also working without interruption.

President Enrique Peña Nieto offered his condolences to the families affected and said that 50 million people across the country had felt the tremor.

In Guatemala, there has been damage to buildings and infrastructure, and a handful of injuries in the San Marcos area. No-one has been reported killed. 

The Foreign Office have said:  "We are in touch with local authorities and stand ready to support any British people affected."

5:51PM

President Peña Nieto speaks to the nation again

President Peña Nieto has been back on twitter, sending his gratitude to other nations and assuring the Mexican people that he will do all he can to help them. In a series of tweets he said:

"According to the latest reports, more than 30 people lost their lives and over 200 were injured in the earthquake.

"Chiapas and Oaxaca are the states most heavily affected. At the moment there have been over 260 aftershocks, the strongest being 6.1 (on the Richter scale).

"The Police, Navy, Civil Protection Agency and Defence teams, as well as everyone in the Mexican government is taking action to help the people.

"The CFE (Mexican electricity commission) reported 1.85 million people affected and now 90% of them have power again.

"Major transportation systems, including airports and ports are working normally and we are making assessments about the motorway network.

"In the name of all Mexicans, I appreciate the show of solidarity and support that we have received from leaders and their nations."

5:30PM

Mysterious flashes across the Mexico City skyline

Another video doing the rounds is of lights above Mexico City last night. The spectacle, not dissimilar to the Northern Lights saw bright green, blue and amber flashes across the skyline.

This has been attributed to a change in electromagnetic charge caused by rocks falling under the ground.

4:49PM

Reporter live on air when the earthquake hits

A remarkable video has emerged from Mexican television network Televisa, showing their reporter in the studio reading the news, only to be interrupted by the earthquake alarm. The room starts to shake and the reporter is forced to leave the live broadcast and seek shelter away from the perilous studio lights.

The camera then cuts to a wide shot of Mexico City, which starts shaking violently.

4:39PM

What we know so far

32 people have died in Mexico after the worst earthquake in a century, measuring 8.2 on the richter scale hit the country just before midnight local time.

Oaxaca  has been the worst affected state, with 17 deaths and ten in one town. Tabasco and Chiapas have also reported deaths.

Children have died, including a baby,  who was on life support in hospital. He died after the power went down and the machine switched off.

Schools are closed across the country so that government inspectors can assure that the buildings are safe.

Tsunami warnings were in place along the Pacific coastline and some places have been evacuated as a precaution, but most alerts have now been lifted. 

All airports in Mexico are functioning without problems today, and all public transport in the capital is also working without interruption.

President Enrique Peña Nieto offered his condolences to the families affected and said that 50 million people across the country had felt the tremor.

The Foreign Office have said:  "We are in touch with local authorities and stand ready to support any British people affected."

3:50PM

Damage across Mexico and Guatemala

As Central America wakes up, some roads are proving to be impassable and buildings uninhabitable. 

This image is from Totonicapán in Guatemala

 This is San Marcos, Guatemala, which bore the brunt of the damage

 A car has been crushed in Oaxaca, Mexico

Finally, Juchitán Oaxaca, where 17 people have died. This could be the image that comes to define the earthquake in Mexico.

2:56PM

Number of dead rises to 32

In Oaxaca, the State Governor Alejandro Murat has given more details about the deaths in his state. He said that 17 people died in Juchitán, where the photo of the Mexican flag in the pile of rubble was taken. Other people died in Ixtaltepec, Miltepec,  Xadani and Huamelula, putting the number of people killed by the earthquake in his state at 23. 

In Chiapas, The Secretary for Civil Protection said that seven people had died. Luis Manuel García Moreno said that three people died in San Cristóbal, two in Villaflores and one in each of  Pijijiapan and Jiquipilas."

It has been confirmed that two people have also died in Tabasco. This brings the overall number of deaths to 32.

2:30PM

School closures across Mexico

Schools have been shut across most of Southern Mexico today, with inspectors checking the damage on buildings.

To gain a sense of scale, this is what those closures look like. This earthquake has spread across thousands of miles and earlier, the President, Enrique Peña Nieto said that 50 million people had felt tremors.

The last major earthquake to hit Mexico City was 1985, when scores of buildings collapsed killing at least 10,000 people. Since then, there has been a serious shift in attitude towards combating natural disasters, and earthquake sirens have been placed around the city. This early warning system went off minutes before the ground shook and allowed people to leave their homes before the danger hit.  

1:32PM

Tsunami warning cancelled in Guatemala

Like the Galapagos, Guatemala has lifted its tsunami warning. INSIVUMEH, which is the National Institute for Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and hydrology issued the notice.  

Dozens of people in Guatemala have been affected by the earthquake off their Western coast, but there has not been any reported loss of life. Several buildings have been severely damaged along the coastline, but there is now no threat of a tsunami.

In Honduras, a green alert has been issued, which means that they are monitoring the situation closely.

1:18PM

Earthquake death toll rises to 26 according to State Governor

Alejandro Murat, the Governor of Oaxaca has said that 20 people have died in his state.

This brings the overall total to 26 after four people died in Chiapas and two more were killed in Tabasco.

1:03PM

Concertgoers in Mexico City hit by tremor

The quake was also felt by the thousands of people who had packed out Mexico City’s National Auditorium to see a concert by Alejandro Fernández, one of the country’s most popular singers. Mr Fernández, who is due to play two more night at the 10,000-capacity arena on Friday and Saturday, carried on until the end of the show, apparently oblivious to the tremors which led many spectators to head for the exit.  

In this video, one fan can be heard shouting "está temblando" or "it's shaking." 

The last song was playing when we began to feel the quake,” Mario Almaguer told EFE news agency. “Everything was moving and it lasted a good while, at least two minutes, so people began to get up and leave,” he added.

This aerial footage shows people spilling out into the street after the tremor hit.

12:37PM

Mexicans recount their terrible experiences

Mexicans affected by the earthquake have begun to share their stories of fear and destruction caused by the tremor.

Samadeni Montero from Tonalá, Chiapas, one of the towns hardest hit by the earthquake, told the EFE news agency how her house started to shake late on Thursday night. “I was inside the house in bed when I began to feel the movement. I thought it would pass quickly, but it grew stronger and stronger. So the first thing I did was to grab my daughter,” she said.

“All the wires began to swing, the electricity cut out and the sky turned a horrible red colour.”

Montero said that she would be spending the rest of the night sleeping on the ground outside her home with the rest of her family.

12:33PM

Deaths confirmed in three Mexican states

The Mexican death toll now stands at 15, Luis Felipe Puente, Civil Protection national coordinator, told the Mexican television channel Televisa.

He said 10 of those deaths were in Oaxaca, three in Chiapas and two more in Tabasco.

This image, taken in Juchitán, Oaxaca, and widely circulated on social media has been captioned: 'We are standing. Mexico is standing.' by Mexican journalist Joaquín López-Dóriga

12:09PM

Tsunami warning lifted in the Galapagos Islands

Fears of a tsunami in the Galapagos Islands have been quelled after the tsunami alert, put out by the Ecuadorian Institue for Oceanography, has been cancelled.

Residents on Isla Isabela, in the Galapagos had been evacuated following the earthquake which struck over 1200 miles away.

The Secretary for Risk Management Alexandra Ocles said "Isabela has been 100 per cent evacuated," and that all 1300 residents were taking shelter in a local gymnasium. She has now said that "citizens of the Galapagos should return to everyday life and remain calm."

11:53AM

Foreign Office "ready to support any British people affected"

A Foreign Office Spokesperson has said: "We are in touch with local authorities and stand ready to support any British people affected."

11:47AM

Death toll rises to 15

Ricardo De La Cruz, head of the Disaster Management Agency has told Milenio TV station: "the death toll is 15 in all...based on the figures from each state."

Initially the death toll stood at five, but ten more bodies have been found in Juchitan, Oaxaca after the 8.2 magnitude quake devastated buildings.

11:00AM

No reports of deaths in Guatemala

Guatemala was also hit by the earthquake, striking the country at 10.52pm local time on Thursday.

But officials say that so far there are no reports of deaths, despite many houses suffering partial collapses in towns near the border with Mexico such as San Marcos.

Schools will remain closed on Friday as a precaution in three departments: Quetzaltenango, San Marcos and Suchitepéquez.

10:54AM

Puerto Madero evacuated

The 'Plan Marina' - a national body set up to aid civilians during natural disasters or national emergencies, has been helping to evacuate Mexico's southernmost port, Puerto Madero, in advance of an incoming tidal surge.

Fears of a tsunami have been quelled by President Peña Nieto after he said on national television that "the tsunami risk on the Chiapas coast does not represent a major risk. It's not very big. It's not a major worry."

10:43AM

More hotels damaged by earthquake

Another hotel in Oaxaca, Casa Cue has been damaged by the earthquake. No injuries have been reported but the authorities say that there is severe structural damage to the building.

Meanwhile in Mexico City, which sits 450 miles from the earthquake epicentre, but felt the tremor nonetheless, the head of the local government Angel Mancera has assured residents that all transport systems will run as normal tomorrow.

10:36AM

Angel of Independence sways during quake

BuzzFeed News in Mexico has obtained some striking footage of the Angel of Independence, an icon of Mexico City, swaying during the earthquake. 

In the 1957 during an earthquake which killed dozens in the capital, the Angel fell.  

It was very much the symbol of the disaster, and a traumatising blow to Mexicans. So the Angel is now closely watched during every earthquake.

10:27AM

Mexican president addresses nation via Twitter 

The Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has been tweeting in the last few minutes. In a series of messages he said:

"According to the latest evaluation, the earthquake had a magnitude of 8.2, the strongest in nearly a century.

"Unfortunately there are deaths reported, and I send my deepest condolences to the families.

"Tomorrow classes are suspended in Mexico City, Chiapas, Guerrero, Higaldo, Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla, Tabasco, Tlaxcala and Veracruz in order to inspect the school buildings.

"At 3am, the CFE (Mexican state electricity provider) reported 1.85 million users affected. 1.38 million of those (74%) already have their power back.

"It is recommended that people check gas installations, and the state of walls and columns. Report any defects to the authorities.

"Pay attention to the news from The National Office for Civil Protection, because there could be a repeat of the quake in the next 24 hours.

"The national emergency committee is working to evaluate the damage and coordinate the action to best take care of the population."

He said an estimated 50 million people felt the earthquake.

10:00AM

Hotel collapses in Oaxaca

Authorities in Mexico say that a hotel in Oaxaca has collapsed, but no one from the building has been reported dead.

Civil Defense photos showed the crumbling facade of the Anel hotel in Matias Romero.  President Enrique Peña Nieto said no one was reported dead at the hotel.

Earlier, Oaxaca Gov. Alejandro Murat said that some people were able to escape from the hotel and authorities were working to determine if they were any casualties or missing people.

9:47AM

School and university classes suspended

Jamie Johnson reports:

The Mexican Education Secretary Aurelio Nuño has been tweeting, saying that nurseries, schools and universities in the states of Tabasco, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Edomex, Puebla, Hidalgo, Morelos and even as far away as Veracruz, on the gulf of Mexico will see classes suspended today. 

In a statement, Mr Nuño said that the measure had been taken to "guarantee the safety of students, teachers, administrative personnel and families."

9:35AM

Buildings in Oaxaca reduced to rubble

Some of the worst initial reports of the earthquake came from Juchitan in Oaxaca state, where sections of the town hall, a hotel, a bar and other buildings were reduced to rubble.

Rescue workers labored through the night in badly affected areas to check for people trapped in collapsed buildings.

9:24AM

More information about Chiapas, Mexico's poorest state

Jamie Johnson reports:

Chiapas is Mexico's southernmost state and also its poorest. Chiapas has the highest poverty rate in the country - standing at 74.7 per cent according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) in 2014 - and the median income is less than half the national average.

Made up of a great mix of indiginous communities, speaking different Mayan languages, its three million inhabitants rely mainly  on tourism for its modest income.

Despite heavy investment in infrastructure, the population has not been lifted out of poverty.

The state has mountainous highlands and thick rainforest in the south, where it borders Guatemala. There are numerous Mayan ruins in Chiapas including the UNESCO world heritage site of Palenque - where there was a pre-hispanic city. 

The state capital Tuxtla Gutierrez welcomed Pope Francis in February last year and he celebrated mass with indiginous locals, speaking in Spanish as well as saying prayers in three native languages.

The state is no stranger to earthquakes, with warning systems in place and alerts on public radio, but there has not been an earthquake of this size in the last century, according to President Enrique Peña Nieto.

Recently there has been a tourism drive, with a promotional video for the state garnering more than 1,000 retweets from the President's account.

8:59AM

'Strongest earthquake in a century' for Mexico

Mexico's president says earthquake magnitude was 8.2, the strongest in a century in the country. 

8:45AM

Dozens of aftershocks

James Badcock writes that local media is reporting that schools will remain closed today in many southern and central states of Mexico.

The National Seismology Service said that in the two hours following the initial earthquake, there were 61 aftershocks up to a magnitude of 6.1.

President Enrique Peña Nieto has asked people not to panic, and the government is warning against the spreading of unofficial rumours.

Mr Peña Nieto said that 1.5 million people had lost their electricity supply immediately after the earthquake, but that half of these had now had power restored.

He said that aftershocks of up to 7.0 on the Richter scale were still possible.

8:41AM

 VIDEO: Buildings shudder as deadly earthquake hits Mexico

8:29AM

Tsunami waves of 3.3 feet measured

Tsunami waves have been measured off Mexico's Pacific coast.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says waves of 1 metre (3.3 feet) above the tide level were measured off Salina Cruz. Smaller tsunami waves were observed on the coast or measured by ocean gauges in several other places.

The center's forecast said Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala could see waves of a metre or less.

No threat was posed to Hawaii and the western and South Pacific.

8:10AM

Five dead, including two children

The death toll in Mexico has risen to at least five people, including two children in Tabasco state.

Tabasco Governor Arturo Nunez said that one of the children died when a wall collapsed, and the other was a baby who died in a children's hospital that lost electricity, cutting off the supply to the infant's ventilator.

The other three deaths were in Chiapas state, in San Cristobal de las Casas.

The governor of Chiapas says that at least three people have been killed in his region.

Gov. Manuel Velasco told Milenio TV that the deaths occurred in San Cristobal de las Casas.

He also said that the quake damaged hospitals and schools:

"There are damages in hospitals that have lost energy. Homes, schools and hospitals have been affected."

7:30AM

At least two dead

The government has said at least two people have died in southern Mexico, AFP reports. 

The two fatalities came in the southern state of Chiapas, Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said.

7:27AM

Tsunumi reported

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has confirmed there is a tsunami, with the largest wave being 0.7 metres - or 2.3 feet. 

7:20AM

Some damage at Mexico City airport

7:15AM

Guatemala president calls for calm

In neighbouring Guatemala, President Jimmy Morales spoke on national television to call for calm while emergency crews checked for damage. Local radio in the Central American country reported one death, but it could not be confirmed.

"We have reports of some damage and the death of one person, even though we still don't have exact details," Morales said.

He said the possible death occurred in San Marcos state near the border with Mexico. 

7:14AM

'The house moved like chewing gum'

Rodrigo Soberanes, who lives near San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas, a poor largely indigenous state popular with tourists, described the moment the quake struck. 

Civil Defence in Chiapas said on its Twitter account that its personnel were in the streets aiding people and warned residents to prepare for aftershocks. But it made no immediate comment about damage.

7:10AM

Scenes in Mexico City

7:00AM

'It felt horrible'

In one central neighbourhood, dozens of people stood outside after the quake, some wrapped in blankets against the cool night air. Children were crying.

Liliana Villa, 35, was in her apartment when the earthquake struck and she fled to the street in her pyjamas.

6:58AM

Videos show moment quake struck

6:55AM

Reports of hotel guests trapped

In Oaxaca, there are reports on social media of  guests being trapped in a hotel. 

6:46AM

Pictures emerge of damage

6:40AM

'I nearly fell over'

Residents in Mexico City are describing the moment when the quake struck. 

Luis Carlos Briceno, an architect, 31, who was visiting Mexico City, said:

6:39AM

Strongest quake since 1985

Mexico's civil protection agency said it was the strongest earthquake to hit the country since a devastating 1985 tremor that toppled buildings and killed thousands.

6:35AM

Big aftershock hits Mexico

A 5,7 magnitude earthquake has hit near the coast of Oaxaca in Mexico. 

6:32AM

Guatemala also hit by quake

The earthquake also rattled large parts of Guatemala. Residents in the city of Quetzaltenango say they are without electricity and firefighters are assessing the extent of the damage. 

6:30AM

Estimated tsunami times

 The current Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is 5.29am.

6:28AM

Countries under tsunami threat

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said the earthquake was a potential tsunami threat to several Central American countries, including the Pacific coastlines of Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador and Costa Rica.

It said the threat was still being evaluated for Hawaii, Guam and other Pacific islands.

6:27AM

Buildings without power in capital

Witnesses say the power has been knocked out in parts of the capital, Mexico City, after the quake. The quake struck at night and frightened residents are gathering in the streets. 

6:22AM

Tsunami threat

The US tsunami warning system has issued a number of warnings for the region. 

6:12AM

People fled to streets

People in Mexico City ran out into the streets after the quake struck, a Reuters witness said.

Its epicentre was 123 km (76 miles) southwest of the town of Pijijiapan, at a depth of 33 km (21 miles). Widespread, hazardous tsunami waves were possible, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.