Mexico killings: 12 dead in string of shootings, fuel thieves suspected

Mexican authorities say 12 people have died in the central state of Puebla in a string of shootings being investigated as possible score-settling by rival gangs of fuel thieves.

The state prosecutor's office reports Tuesday that three men and a woman were slain at a hospital in the state capital. Another man was shot dead while driving in the suburb of Chachapa.

And two more were killed while riding in a pickup truck in the municipality of Amozoc de Mota, which contains Chachapa.

In a separate statement late Monday, c prosecutors said gunmen in an SUV shot dead five people who were drinking on a lot around midday in Tlaltenango.

Fuel pipeline theft is a growing problem in Mexico, with regular shootings between gangs and sometimes police or soldiers.
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Over 60 dead after 7.1-magnitude earthquake hits Mexico

At least 65 people were killed today when a powerful, 7.1-magnitude quake hit Mexico, authorities said, increasing a previous toll given after confirming more 16 deaths in and around Mexico City.

The state of Morelos, just south of the capital, was hardest hit with 42 deaths, according to its governor.

Puebla, a town southeast of Mexico City, saw 11 deaths, while Mexico state, to the west of the capital, recorded eight deaths.

Four deaths were confirmed in Mexico City itself according to official reports, but more were feared there as rescue crews and volunteers clawed through the rubble of several collapsed buildings. The megapolis is home to 20 million people.
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Strong 7.1-magnitude earthquake strikes Mexico City

A powerful earthquake shook Mexico City today, causing panic among the megalopolis' 20 million inhabitants on the 32nd anniversary of a devastating 1985 quake.

The US Geological Survey put the quake's magnitude at 7.1 while Mexico's Seismological Institute said it measured 6.8 on its scale.

The institute said the quake's epicenter was seven kilometers west of Chiautla de Tapia, in the neighboring state of Puebla.

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