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Mexico earthquake: Rescuers toil to save person trapped in collapsed school

Rescuers were desperately toiling to free what they believed was a young girl trapped beneath the rubble of a partially collapsed primary school in Mexico City after an earthquake devastated the city.

It was thought a 12-year-old girl was trapped beneath the debris of the school, with a 7.1 magnitude earthquake having flattened buildings across Mexico City on Tuesday evening.

Officials have since said there is no missing child but they believe an adult may be beneath the rubble instead.

At least 273 people are reported to have been killed in the quake, including 11 members of the same family who died at a child’s baptism when the church roof collapsed.

On Thursday afternoon rescuers were still working to free the person from the Enrique Rebsamen school, where officials have said 21 children and 4 adults have been killed.

Dramatic footage emerged of rescuers who have been working at the collapsed school for the past two days.

Workers held their hands up to demand silence from the hundreds of well-wishers anxiously waiting at the site so that they could hear any cries for help.

In one clip, a rescuer can be seen passing a bottle of water through the rubble.

Admiral Jose Luis Vergara, who was at the site, initially told CNN: “At this moment we know that at least one girl is alive inside."

Later, assistant navy secretary Angel Enrique Sarmiento said there was evidence of a person who may still alive, but it was probably a school worker.

Despite the rain and dangerous conditions soldiers and medics helped the rescuers through the night.

There are some reports that other people have been found alive in the debris, though this has not been confirmed.

The earthquake is the deadliest in Mexico since a 1985 tremor on the same date killed thousands. It came less than two weeks after another powerful earthquake caused 90 deaths in the country's south.