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These 21 Photos Of Mexico City Uniting After The Earthquake Will Warm Your Heart

by Priscilla Totiyapungprasert
Rafael S. Fabres/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Rescuers continue to search for survivors after a massive 7.1-magnitude earthquake shook Mexico City and surrounding states Puebla and Morelos on Tuesday. The earthquake caused buildings to tumble and trapped many people in the fallen rubble. More than 200 people have already died from the disaster, but soldiers, rescuers, medical personnel, and civilian volunteers have banded together to rescue the earthquake survivors. Photos of Mexico City residents coming together to help each other are a reminder of the resilient human spirit.

The city's basic operations, like public transportation, are in shut down. Some schools have collapsed with students inside. All public and private schools in Mexico City and affected states will remain closed until further notice, according to Mexico's education minister Aurelio Nuño. One of the most dramatic rescues actually took place in a school. Some 11 people have been rescued at Enrique Rebsamen primary and secondary school, and at least three are still missing.

The densely populated capital is home to nearly 8.9 million people. Tuesday's earthquake threw city into chaos and a state of national emergency, with power outages and potential gas leaks as residents flooded the streets to escape falling buildings. It was a familiar horror for some: The disaster occurred on the anniversary of the powerful 1985 earthquake that devastated Mexico City and killed thousands. This quake came exactly 32 years later.

1) Listening For Survivors

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Rescuers called for silence so they can hear and locate survivors crying for help.

2) People Lined Up To Remove Rubble

Hundreds of people lined up to clear debris in Condesa, a neighborhood in Mexico City.

3) Volunteers Strap On Their Dusk Masks

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Volunteers geared up with gloves and dust masks to help the rescue efforts.

4) People Celebrating This Dog's Rescue

Crowds cheered when a dog was rescued from the remains of a fallen building.

5) Distributing Medical Supplies

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Medical personnel organized supplies to distribute.

6) Major Teamwork

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People combined forces to lift heavy rubble and search for survivors.

7) The Youth Join Volunteer Efforts

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People formed a human chain to pass supplies, such as water, along.

8) Dogs Are Also Doing The Rescuing

This Labrador has been busy helping find survivors among the rubble.

9) Water Is Being Passed Out

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Citizens are coming together to support the rescue workers.

10) Rescues Require Teamwork

All across the city, groups worked together to get people out of damaged buildings.

11) Lists Of The Ijjured

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Lists explain to which hospitals the injured were sent, and others write notes about the missing.

12) No Rest For The Rescue Workers

They've been at it 24/7 and some are taking any chance they can get to rest their eyes.

13) Some Found Didn't Survive

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As the hours stretch on, the emergency workers will find less people alive in the damaged buildings.

14) Buildings Flatten Like Pancakes

From above, it's remarkable the damage — and those who are risking further injury by climbing onto the structure to save others.

15) Lists Of Needs To Go Viral

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The workers need oxygen, eye drops, saline solution and more to keep working.

16) There Are Animals To Save Too

It's not just humans that have been affected.

17) Rescuing In Teams

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Decked out with multiple shovels, and all the right gear, Mexico City has a large corps of local, state, and national rescue teams.

18) More Help Coming From The USA

Rescuers from the LA area are headed down to do what they can to help.

19) Coverage Of The Devastation

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Some aspects of the city are carrying on like normal, including newspapers that cover the devastation, and those who sell it busy at work.

20) Working Through The Night

These operations won't end until everyone is accounted for, dead or alive.

21) The Sheer Number Of People Working Towards A Common Goal

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Just the numbers of people who are hard at work, doing so together, is remarkable. Thanks to their quick and effective response, more lives can be spared.

The rescuers will be doing all that they can in the coming hours. At that school, one girl has been found alive and rescuers are doing all they can to get her free. The girl, Frida Sofia, says there are others alive trapped with her. Only working together can get them out.

Additional reporting by Joseph D. Lyons.