The earthquake caused damage in the Mexican states of Puebla, Morelos, and the Greater Mexico City area, resulting in the collapse of more than forty buildings.
The quake coincidentally occurred on the 32nd anniversary of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake that killed approximately 10,000 people.
The 1985 quake was commemorated, and a national earthquake drill was held at 11 a.m. local time, just two hours before the 2017 earthquake. There had been an even larger earthquake 650 km away off the coast of the state of Chiapas twelve days earlier.
In Puebla, church steeples had toppled in the city of Cholula, and a church on the slopes of Popocatépetl in Atzitzihuacan collapsed during mass, killing 15 people.
A second church, which was built in the 17th century, fell in Atzala during a baptism, killing 11 people including the baby.
At least 44 buildings collapsed in Mexico City due to the earthquake, trapping people inside, creating large plumes of dust, and starting fires. At least 50 to 60 people were rescued by emergency workers and citizens.
Several buildings caught fire. Condesa, Roma, and del Valle neighborhoods were among those most affected in the zone: a building located on Álvaro Obregón Avenue collapsed, and several buildings on Ámsterdam Avenue suffered damage.
Source: MexicanRoutes.com