In photos: Mexico hit with magnitude 8.4 quake; strongest in 100 years

At least 61 people have died and hundreds injured in a massive earthquake that hit the southern coast of Mexico in the early hours of  Friday, 8 September. With a magnitude of 8.4, the Chiapas earthquake is the strongest earthquake to have hit Mexico in over a hundred years.

The epicentre was located in the Pacific Ocean, and the worst affected regions are Chiapas and Oaxaca. Tremors were felt as far as Mexico City in the North and Guatemala City and San Salvador in the South-East region.

According to the US Geological Survey, a number of aftershocks have been reported, including six that measured above 5.0 in magnitude. Moreover, a tsunami measuring 3 feet has also been reported to have struck the coast

While the Mexican authorities have already begun rescue and aid efforts, the destruction caused by the earthquake has left scores of buildings razed to the ground. Additionally, hundreds of people have reportedly lost electricity as normal life has come to a halt in Southern Mexico.

In a tweet by President Enrique Peña Nieto, the premier offered timely condolences to all the families who have lost their lives in the earthquake thus far. Moreover, the mayor of Juchitan, a district in Oaxaca, Gloria Sanchez, released an official statement saying that “the situation is Juchitan is critical; this is the most terrible moment in its history.”