Death toll from Mexican earthquake climbs to 90

A rescue worker and his dog search at the building collapse site after an earthquake hit in Juchitan, Oaxaca state, Mexico, Sept. 9, 2017. A powerful earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale struck off Mexico's southern coast late Thursday night, killing 90 people. (Xinhua/Dan Hang)

The number of victims from a strong earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale in Mexico Thursday night has climbed to 90, authorities confirmed on Sunday.

During an evaluation meeting, Oaxaca state governor Alejandro Murat confirmed that 71 people died in southern state of Oaxaca, where the worst impact was felt.

Sunday afternoon, Murat toured the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region, which connects Mexico to Central America and which sustained the most damage.

He told reporters that the search and rescue in the state would continue until there were no reports of missing persons.

Another 15 people were killed in neighboring Chiapas state and four others in Tabasco, Mexico's civil defence chief Luis Felipe said on Saturday.

More than 800,000 people have been displaced after their homes were partially or totally destroyed.

Some 324 public schools have suffered structural damage, including 42 that were totally destroyed.

Oaxaca's head of Civil protection, Armando Bohorquez, said six people remain missing, including four who were reportedly staying at a hotel that collapsed in the town of Matias Romero.

Bohorquez requested the federal government declare 282 towns natural disaster zones to facilitate relief efforts.

The powerful earthquake struck off Mexico's southern coast late Thursday night, with its epicenter 96 km southwest of the town of Pijijiapan in Chiapas state, at a depth of 33 km.

The seismic waves swayed buildings as far away as Mexico City, where a citywide quake alarm sounded, waking residents and sending them into the streets minutes before midnight.

The quake affected at least 50 million people in 12 states. The worst-hit city is Juchitan in Oaxaca, where at least 36 bodies were pulled from ruins. Oaxaca is one of the three states near the quake epicenter off the coast.

According to the Mexican authorities, this was the most intense earthquake the country has suffered in the last 100 years.