There Was A Huge Earthquake In Mexico City & These Tweets Reveal The Chaos

The Associated Press reports that a 7.1 earthquake rocked Mexico City and other parts of the country Monday. The quake was reportedly centered east of Puebla near the town of Raboso, and at least five people have been reported dead so far in local media, according to CBS News. The earthquake comes less than two weeks after an 8.1 earthquake killed at least 98 people, and on the anniversary of a 1985 quake in Mexico City that killed 10,000 people.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake's epicenter was about 76 miles southeast of Mexico City, and Puebla Gov. Tony Gali tweeted that buildings in the city of Cholula sustained damage during the quake. But Mexico City itself was hit hard as well, with ABC News reporting that thousands of residents fled buildings and gathered on Reforma Avenue as traffic hit a standstill near the Angel of Independence monument. One eyewitnesses told ABC that he could smell gas in the air after the quake hit, while another reported seeing glass windows explode during the rocking.

Although it's too soon to assess the damage, preliminary reports from the ground paint a frightening picture of the earthquake's impact on Mexico. Here are some of them.

A Building Collapses

A terrifying piece of footage from Monday shows an entire building in Mexico City crumbling during the earthquake.

Mexico City Hit

Reported footage from the ground showed light fixtures rocking back and forth inside an apartment as people fled to the streets.

Citywide Destruction

Footage taken from a skyscraper after the earthquake showed smoldering rubble scattered across Mexico City.

Shaking Buildings

There were numerous reports of swaying buildings in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake.

Damage To The Streets

There aren't yet any estimates of damage caused by the quake, but Mexico City residents posted images of the destruction on Twitter.

'Scary As Hell'

Los Angeles Times reporter Kate Linthicum said that the earthquake "nearly toppled" a building in Mexico City. It survived, but its exterior walls appear to be significantly damaged.

Partial Collapse

Some buildings, such as the one above published by NBC Nightly News, remained partially intact after the quake but still sustained catastrophic damage.

33 Miles Deep

According to CNN, the earthquake occurred around 33 miles deep. Mexico City is on a former lakebed, and its soil makes it especially susceptible to earthquake, according to ABC News.

Looking For Survivors

Recovery efforts have already begun. This image from NBC Nightly News shows locals combing through the debris in search of survivors.

More Buildings Fall

No estimates of property damage were available in the immediate aftermath of the quake, but the footage coming out of Mexico City suggests that it will be considerable. In this video, another building is seen collapsing.

Government Building Wrecked

In this video, the facade of Mexico City's National Employment Service building falls to the ground under the strength of the earthquake.

The timing was grimly ironic: Tuesday's quake struck 32 years to the day after Mexico City suffered a calamitous 8.1-magnitude earthquake, which left 10,000 dead and completely demolished some 3,000 buildings. Earlier on Tuesday, Mexico City held preparation drills in commemoration of the 1985 earthquake.

In addition, Mexico already suffered deadly earthquake just 11 days before Tuesday's quake. That one struck off of the country's southern coast, killing dozens of people and destroying hundreds of buildings. According to the New York Times, however, folks on the ground in Mexico City said that the shaking on Tuesday was much worse.

“I can’t believe I’m alive,” a survivor of Tuesday's quake told the Times as medics removed shards of glass from her foot. As of this writing, most of the city's residents were gathering in the streets, fearful of re-entering any buildings that could yet collapse.