Seismic alarms echoed across Mexico City on Friday (September 19) as residents participated in the annual earthquake preparedness drill.

Office workers evacuated buildings as sirens blared from loudspeakers, while emergency responders conducted coordinated rescue simulations throughout the capital.

Firefighters battled mock blazes, paramedics carried injured volunteers on stretchers, and helicopters landed to airlift simulated casualties.

Mexico's last massive quake in 2017 killed hundreds. The 7.1 magnitude quake struck central Mexico in 2017, just hours after a scheduled evacuation drill. Tens of thousands of buildings were damaged, and dozens died as a school and offices collapsed.

In 1985, another massive quake killed thousands.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (SEPTEMBER 19, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. SEISMIC ALARM SOUNDING ON LOUD SPEAKERS

2. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE EVACUATING BUILDING DURING DRILL

3. (MUTE) TIME-LAPSE OF PEOPLE EVACUATING BUILDING DURING DRILL

4. VARIOUS F GAS TANK FIRE DRILLING

5. FIREFIGHTERS PUTTING OUT A FIRE DURING A DRILL

6. AMBULANCE IN STREET

7. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS HELPING A PERSON DURING DRILL

8. PARAMEDICS CARRYING A PERSON ON STRETCHER DURING DRILL

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MEXICO CITY RESIDENT, DENNISE, SAYING:

"Beyond a drill, it is about safeguarding our own safety and health and that of our colleagues."

10. HELICOPTER FLYING OVER DRILL AREA

11. HELICOPTER LANDING

12. PARAMEDICS CARRYING A PERSON ON STRETCHER DURING DRILL

13. PEOPLE LOOKING AT DRILL IN STREET

14. PARAMEDICS PUTTING INJURED PERSON INTO HELICOPTER

15. HELICOPTER TAKING OFF

16. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MEXICO CITY RESIDENT, DAVID RUIZ, SAYING:

"The 2017 earthquake caught us off guard, but with the drills we have conducted, we have improved our strategy for evacuating buildings. We are in the Prisma tower, on the 25th floor, so it is essential to be clear about what needs to be done."

17. (MUTE) VARIOUS TIME-LAPSE SHOTS OF HELICOPTER LANDING AND OFFICER GUARDING AREA / HELICOPTER TAKING OFF

18. INJURED ON STRETCHER BEING LOWERED FROM CRANE

19. PARAMEDICS DURING DRILL

20. VARIOUS OF INJURED ON STRETCHER BEING LOWERED FROM CRANE

21. PEOPLE RETURNING TO BUILDINGS

22. PEOPLE GATHERING AT MEETING POINTS

23. PEOPLE RETURNING TO BUILDINGS