Mexico quake kills 58, sparks at least 337 replicas

Photo taken on Sept. 8, 2017 shows debris and damages in a mall after an earthquake jolted Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas state, Mexico. A powerful earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale struck off Mexico's southern coast on late Thursday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. (Xinhua/Str)

The 8.2 magnitude quake which rocked Mexico on Thursday night has now left a preliminary death toll of 58, while also sparking 337 replicas in 13 hours, Mexico's national earthquake service, SSN, said on Friday.

The powerful quake, which affected at least 50 million people in 12 states at 23:49 local time, mostly affected the southern states of Oaxaca and Chiapas.

Different official sources have confirmed the deaths of 45 people in Oaxaca, 10 in Chiapas and three in the neighboring state of Tabasco.

Experts from the SSN told a press conference that the worst earthquake felt in Mexico in a century lasted 135 seconds from its epicenter all the way to Mexico City, over 400 km away.

Authorities continued to verify the material damage caused by the earthquake in Chiapas and Oaxaca, where the town of Juchitan saw the collapse of a number of buildings, including its town hall.

The Mexican government has reported that the quake did not knock out roads in Chiapas, Oaxaca and Tabasco, meaning repairs could begin quickly.

Furthermore, all airports, ports, highways, telecommunications and railways in the country are operating normally, except in the three aforementioned state.

President Enrique Pena Nieto has travelled to Chiapas to personally visit some of the most severely hit areas.