Dozens of people have been confirmed killed after a massive Earthquake hit Mexico late on Tuesday evening.

The quake is reported to have caused widespread damage to infrastructure, including collapsed buildings, with many still expected to be trapped inside.

The US Geological Survey has stated that the earthquake was of a 7.1 magnitude and hit five miles southeast of Atencingo in the state of Puebla, at a depth of 32 miles.

As a result of the epicentre's location, the tremors are said to have seriously affected Mexico's capital, Mexico City, with many thousands of people said to be caught up in the disaster.

Quake hits on anniversary of 1985 disaster

To add to the sadness of this story, the quake has struck on the 32nd anniversary of the powerful 1985 Mexico City earthquake, which was being remembered after it killed approximately 10,000 people that day.

On that day in 1985, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake hit, killing those thousands of people in Mexico City, while devastating its infrastructure.

Earlier in the day, citizens across Mexico City had been taking part in preparedness drills to commemorate the 1985 disaster, with similar drills having always taken place for the last 32 years in preparation for another powerful tremor, such as this one.

Now on the anniversary of that terrible day, there have been reports of people trapped in buildings, with emergency staff racing to assess damage in cities across the central part of the country and in its capital city.

People struggle to cope after the second quake in as many weeks

What makes efforts to save people more difficult, is that Mexico is still recovering from the 8.2 magnitude earthquake that struck just two weeks ago, off its south coast which killed at least 90 people.

However, Seismologists in Mexico have claimed that the most recent deadly 7.1 magnitude earthquake is not directly connected to the 8.2 magnitude quake that struck on September 8th, as they explained that two different tectonic plates had interacted to cause the separate tremors.

Reports estimate that over 12.4 million people have been exposed to the most recent quake, with the Puebla governor, Tony Galil, also reporting that several buildings in the city of Cholula had been damaged, while at least 42 people have been Confirmed Dead by the Morelos governor

Across the capital, cars have been crushed with plumes of dust rising high into the air causing health and visibility issues. Not only that but there are fears for the water and electricity supplies in the city, as sanitary and human resource issues become apparent.