Mexico earthquake: 21 children crushed to death as school collapses; more than 200 people dead

At least 248 people were killed when a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Mexico, including 21 children crushed beneath an elementary school that was reduced to rubble.

One of the most gut-wrenching scenes was at the Enrique Rebsamen primary school on Mexico City’s south side, whose three floors collapsed into one, trapping students and teachers inside.

Twenty-one children and five adults were killed, said Major Jose Luis Vergara of the Mexican navy yesterday, who was coordinating a rescue effort that involved hundreds of soldiers, police, civilian volunteers and rescue dogs. He said another 30 to 40 people remained trapped inside, while 11 children have been rescued so far.

Emergency workers found a teacher and a student alive beneath the rubble and are trying to get them out, he said.
But the situation was precarious. Late into the night, part of the wreckage collapsed as rescuers continued their search.
Local media reports said soldiers had administered oxygen to one trapped child through a tube.
President Enrique Pena Nieto, who rushed to the site, warned the death toll could rise.
“Unfortunately, many people have lost their lives, including children, in schools, buildings and homes,” he said in a national address.
The devastation struck across a swath of central states and the …read more