Mexico's Rescue Efforts Continue As Quake Toll Tops 270

Rescuers in Mexico continue to work to save possible survivors after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit central Mexico, killing at least 273 people and toppling over 40 buildings.

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Around 30 children are thought to be trapped in the rubble of Enrique Rebsamen School in Villa Coapa, south of the capital. 

"We have a lot of hope that some will still be rescued," said David Porras, one of scores of volunteers helping the search at the school for children aged 3 to 14.

At least 19 children and six adults were killed at the school.

According to the government officials, at least 100 people in Mexico City have been saved since Wednesday.

The earthquake has left 115 people dead in Mexico City, 69 in Morelos, south of Mexico City, 43 in Puebla where the epicenter of the quake struck, 13 in the state of Mexico, four in Guerrero and one in Oaxaca, according to Luis Felipe Puente, coordinator of Civil Protection of the Interior Ministry.

Nearly 2,000 people have been injured in the capital. 

"Solidarity in Jojutla Morelos"

In the aftermath of the devastation, volunteer brigades have also sprung up across Mexico City to provide assistance and organize aid for those who have been stranded by the quake.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto paid tribute to these volunteers in his latest televised address on Wednesday night.

"I want to recognize the volunteers who are helping unconditionally ... If there is something that distinguishes Mexico it is our generosity and our fraternity," he said.

According to the National Defense Ministry, 8,000 members of the Armed Forces have also been sent help with the rescue efforts.

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A team of Venezuelan rescue workers has arrived to provide support. Mexico is also expected to receive technical aid from Spain, Japan and the United States.

Andres Lopez Obrador, the leader of the left-wing Morena party, promised to donate 20 percent of the party's budget to the relief efforts.

Officials say there are 53 shelters across the country, including 30 in Mexico City.

Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said 44 buildings were severely damaged or destroyed.

The country's public education secretary, Aurelio Nuño, confirmed five deaths and 40 injuries at the Tecnologico de Monterrey university.

School and university classes have been canceled in Puebla, Mexico City, Guerrero and Veracruz. The Mexican football league has suspended upcoming matches. Cultural events have also been canceled across the capital.

Messages of solidarity flooded social media in the aftermath of the earthquake.

The Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, said: "Mexico can depend on Venezuela in this moment of difficulties and tragedies ... this is what solidarity is for, this is why we must be united."

Lenin Moreno, the president of Ecuador, said in a message on Twitter: "All our solidarity with the Mexican people and the president."

After being criticized for not offering support to Mexico after the earlier 8.1-earthquake, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Twitter: "God bless the people of Mexico City. We are with you and will be there for you." The city and its surrounding area are home to about 20 million people.

According to the National Seismological Service, the 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit 5 miles southeast of Atencingo in the central state of Puebla at a depth of 32 miles.

The quake hit only hours after many people participated in earthquake drills on the anniversary of the devastating quake that killed thousands in Mexico City in 1985.

The disaster comes just days after an 8.1-magnitude earthquake left 98 people dead and thousands more injured and displaced in the southwestern state of Oaxaca, and the anniversary of the 1985 earthquake in Mexico that killed thousands and hit Michoacan with an 8.1 magnitude.