Strong quake near Mexico City kills at least 226, rescuers dig through collapsed buildings

People clear rubble after an 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit Mexico City (Photo: Courtesy)

MEXICO CITY: Rescue crews and ordinary citizens searched through rubble for survivors as night fell on Tuesday on battered cities in central Mexico, including the capital, where the death toll from a major earthquake grew to at least 226.

The magnitude 7.1 quake toppled dozens of buildings, broke gas mains and sparked fires less than two weeks after another powerful quake killed at least 98 people in southern Mexico. It also hit just hours after emergency drills marked the anniversary of a temblor that killed thousands in 1985.