The Tweets From Mexico Capture The Utter Terror From The Massive Earthquake

At least 32 people were killed and more than 100 others injured when one of the most powerful earthquakes to shake Mexico in decades struck off the country's Pacific coast late Thursday. Panicked residents ran into the streets as buildings and street lights swayed as a result of the main quake's tremors, and the terror from the earthquake was plainly seen in tweets from Mexico as it was happening.

According to reports from the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake had a magnitude of 8.1 with an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean just over 100 miles west of Tapachula in Chiapas, one of Mexico's southern states. Dozens of powerful aftershocks with magnitudes of 4.0 or greater followed the quake, the USGS reported. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, however, has said the quake's magnitude measured 8.2, which would make it more powerful than a deadly 8.1 earthquake that left thousands of people dead when it struck Mexico City in 1985.

According to The New York Times, some 50 million people felt the tremor just before midnight Thursday. Dozens of powerful aftershocks continued to shake the country overnight, adding to residents' panic and the damage of buildings and infrastructure across the country. Several buildings in Mexico's Oaxaca state suffered major damage, including a number of houses and buildings (like City Hall) in Juchitan which collapsed with people trapped inside, The Wall Street Journal reported.

My Bed Was Shaking So Hard

WSJ correspondent Robbie Whelan tweeted the quake was so strong in Mexico City that it woke him up in the night.

My Hotel Was Swaying Violently

Rafael Anchía, a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives, was visiting Mexico City when the quake struck. He reported being awoken by the closet doors in his hotel room slamming shut as a result of the tremor.

We Are Without Power

Translator and multimedia journalist Andalusia Knoll Soloff reported being without power in Mexico City after the 8.1 quake struck.

Tenemos Sismo

Journalist and Twitter user Ils Gallegos shared a video showing overhead lights in Mexico City's Milenio's newsroom swaying precariously during the quake.

Evacuations

One Twitter user noted that evacuations often occur when you're, shall we say, not completely prepared.

El Terremoto

One Twitter user shared video of how the quake shook buildings and caused debris to fall at the Plaza Las Américas shopping center in Tuxtla the capital city of Chiapas, a state in southern Mexico.

Los Daños

Abigail Parra shared pictures of buildings that had been badly damaged in the earthquake in Lxhautan, a town in the southern Mexico state of Oaxaca.

Quake Shakes Angel Of Independence

Twitter user and journalist Carlos Lara Moreno caught Mexico City's Angel of Independence monument trembling as a result of the earthquake.

Buildings Turned To Rubble

In Tonalá, one of Chiapas' 119 municipalities, several buildings were severely damaged in Thursday's powerful quake, including a number of homes that were reduced to rubble.

Buildings Reduced To Rubble

The earthquake also brought heavy reports of damage from Juchitan, an indigenous town in Mexico's Oaxaca state. Several buildings, including the town's city hall, collapsed with reports people were trapped inside.

Assessing The Damage

Local residents and officials in Juchitán were able to gain a clear picture of just how badly the quake had damaged the town on Friday morning.

Certainly Scared The Hell Out Of People

In a tweet published early Friday, Azam Ahmed, the New York Times bureau chief for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, said that while the powerful quake had left Mexico City with "modest damage... from what we can tell," it had "certainly scared the hell out of people."