An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 shook central Mexico on Tuesday, the anniversary of a deadly 1985 temblor, toppling a number of buildings and killing more than 200 people.

M7.1 quake rocks central Mexico, kills more than 100

(Getty)

Many buildings in Mexico City and other areas reportedly crumbled, fanning fears of further fatalities in the quake that came just around two weeks after a powerful quake that killed nearly 100 people in the country.

The 1:14 p.m. temblor occurred near the town of Raboso in the state of Puebla, about 120 kilometers southeast of Mexico City, at a depth of 51 km, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

In Mexico City, more than 40 buildings collapsed. Over 20 bodies were discovered at a collapsed school in southern Mexico City, mostly of children, according to local media reports.

At least 217 people were killed in the quake, according to Mexican authorities. Reuters earlier reported that the quake had claimed the lives of at least 224 people, quoting a senior government official, but authorities later revised the figure.

The city's international airport was temporarily shut for safety checks and a wide area suffered power outages.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto canceled his trip to Oaxaca, which was devastated by the Sept. 7 quake, and flew back to Mexico City to lead the disaster response.

Following the earthquake, U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted, "God bless the people of Mexico City. We are with you and will be there for you."

Expressing condolences to the government and people of Mexico, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that the United Nations stands ready to assist following the quake.

The Japanese government plans to dispatch a rescue mission at the request of the Mexican government, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference in Tokyo.

Mexico City was built on a reclaimed lake located around the capital of the Aztec Empire that existed in the 14th to 16th centuries and its soft ground is believed to have caused buildings to collapse.

A magnitude 8.0 quake struck Mexico the same day 32 years ago, killing thousands of people. Evacuation drills had been held in the country on Tuesday's anniversary.

On Sept. 7, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck off the southwestern coast of Mexico, claiming the lives of 98 people.