Death Toll Rises After 8.0 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Mexico

One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in Mexico's history struck the country's southern coast late Thursday, with the Associated Press reporting 58 people have died as of Friday.

The 8.1 magnitude earthquake hit the capital city minutes before midnight on Thursday, and was strong enough to sway buildings violently. Dozens of strong aftershocks shook the epicenter and surrounding regions more than 650 miles away in the next hours.

Rodrigo Soberanes, who lives near San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas, the state nearest the epicenter, told the AP that his house "moved like chewing gum."

The earthquake triggered an ocean tsunami warning, threatening to wreak more devastation along its coastline. But as of Friday afternoon, there have only been tall waves, with no major damage from the sea.

The area has seen at least six other quakes of magnitude 7.0 or stronger since the early 1900s. According to Mexico's National Seismological Service, three of those happened within a nerve-wracking nine-month span in 1902-1903. However, the Friday earthquake matched the force of a magnitude 8.1 quake that hit the country on June 3, 1932, roughly 300 miles west of Mexico City.

The quake has created a second national emergency for Mexico, which is already bracing for Hurricane Katia on the other side of the country.

Photo credit: Twitter / @ajplus