Governor says 42 dead in central Mexico after powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake
(The Star Toronto Raptors)

MEXICO CITY—The governor of the central Mexican state of Morelos says at least 42 people have died as a result of the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that collapsed buildings and caused widespread panic less than two weeks after another quake left 90 dead in the country’s south.Gov. Graco Ramirez says that 12 of the dead were in the city Jojutla and four were in the state capital of Cuernavaca, which is a city of about 350,000 people.The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centred near the Puebla state town of Raboso, about 123 kilometres southeast of Mexico City.Mexican media broadcast images of multiple downed buildings in densely populated parts of Mexico City and nearby Cuernavaca. A column of smoke rose from a structure in one central neighbourhood in the capital.Read more: Mexico mourns 66 dead after twin punch of earthquake, hurricaneDramatic video showed one midrise building collapsing into a cloud of dust amid cries from onlookers. It was not clear whether anyone was inside, but Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera reported that there were people trapped in some buildings.In the capital’s Roma neighbourhood, onlookers cheered as rescue workers pulled a survivor from one collapsed building.Gov. Alfredo del Mazo told the Televisa news network that two people died in the State of Mexico, which surrounds the capital: a quarry worker who was killed when the quake unleashed a rock slide and another person who was hit by a falling lamppost.The quake caused buildings to sway sickeningly in Mexico City and sent panicked office workers streaming into the streets, but the full extent of the damage was not yet clear.The U.S. Geological Survey calculated its magnitude at 7.1 and said it was centred near the Puebla state town of Raboso, about 123 kilometres southeast of Mexico City.Puebla Gov. Tony Gali tweeted that there had been damaged buildings in the city of Cholula including collapsed church steeples.In Mexico City, thousands of people fled office bui ...