More than 200 dead as earthquake pummels Mexico

Central Mexico has been struck by a massive earthquake which has left more than 200 people dead in the country.

The 7.1 magnitude quake struck the Puebla state on Tuesday evening and reverberated to nearby states, with several buildings being toppled in the capital, Mexico City.

At least 217 people have been killed as a result of the earthquake, according to government officials. The official number of fatalities was revised down from 248, but is expected to rise as emergency operations continue across the country.

The disaster arrived just weeks after another powerful earthquake left almost 100 people dead in Mexico.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said 22 children had died after a school collapsed in the capital, with military personnel working during the night in order to find many more which are missing.

"We are facing a new national emergency," Peña Nieto said in an address.

“It’s important to avoid travelling on the streets and avenues in order to permit the passage of emergency vehicles,” he added.

About two million people were estimated to have lost power in Mexico City in the aftermath of the quake

The earthquake is the deadliest to have hit the Latin American country since 1985, which killed thousands on the same date 30 years earlier.