More Than 140 People Dead After 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Near Mexico City

Early on Tuesday afternoon a major earthquake with an epicenter roughly 76 miles southwest of Mexico City struck, destroying dozens of buildings and (more importantly) killing over 140 people. As you would expect, those totals are expected to increase as the scope of the event is fully realized during the recovery process. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake registered a 7.1 magnitude on the Richter scale.

Reportedly, more than 40 buildings have collapsed as a result of the catastrophe, including at least two schools. Additionally, citizens were trapped by rubble within those buildings, as well as in their cars, causing emergency workers and locals to team up in an effort to dig them out.

A number of pictures and videos on social media helped to visualize the level of destruction that the area surrounding the nation's largest city and capital is currently dealing with:

Tuesday's disaster occurred just a week-and-a-half after an 8.2 magnitude quake struck the country's southern coast, killing 90+ people in the process. It also came 32 years to the day after an utterly merciless 1985 quake hit the same region, which killed an estimated 10,000 people.