Two Bay locals holidaying in Mexico caught up in 7.1 quake chaos

Whangamata couple Grace Spiers and her boyfriend Callum Plaw are holidaying in Mexico. Photo/Supplied

Two Bay locals holidaying in Mexico have an anxious wait to decide whether to cut their trip short after a second massive quake hit the capital.

At least 60 people are dead after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake rocked central Mexico on Wednesday causing buildings to collapse and thousands to flee into the streets in panic.

Centred near the Puebla state town of Raboso about 125km southeast of Mexico City, the quake comes less than two weeks after an 8.1 quake on September 7, which left 90 dead in the country's south.

Grace Spiers, 24, told the Bay of Plenty Times that she and her boyfriend Callum Plaw, both from Whangamata, arrived in Mexico on September 15.

They had intended travelling around the country for three weeks "following the surf" before heading to the United States to do the same for a few weeks, Ms Spiers said.

Currently in the small tourist town of Tulum, in Yucatan, Ms Spiers said this was their first trip to Mexico, which was both a holiday and a "surf adventure" for her and Mr Plaw.

Tulum is a 13-hour drive from Puerto Escondido in the Oaxaca region where there was a major surf break they had planned to head to in three days time, she said.

"That's the area where the 8.1 earthquake hit and at this stage, we're not too sure what to do as we had planned to fly into Mexico City and head down the coast."

Ms Spiers said around the time of the earthquake there had been a 40-minute power cut so they had not learned of the second quake until much later.

"It wasn't until I had a text from a friend asking whether we were okay, then we started watching the BBC reports and searching on Google and I was stunned."

Ms Spiers, who has represented New Zealand in surfing, said her heart sank when she heard about the earthquake, and now she and her boyfriend have an anxious wait to decide what to do.

"It's definitely quite nerve-wracking having two huge earthquakes in quick succession.

"It will be hugely disappointing if we do have to cut our trip short as we had planned this holiday for almost a year and saved for ages."

A SafeTravel advisory posted on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's website stated Kiwis in the affected area should follow the local authorities' advice and monitor local media for any developments.

The ministry also urged anyone with concerns about family members in Mexico to try to make direct contact before calling the ministry's consular division on 04 439 8000.

Mexico's latest 7.1 magnitude earthquake

• Centred near Puebla state town of Raboso, about 125km southeast of Mexico City
• Toppled dozens of buildings, including 27 in the capital, and at least 60 people dead
• That includes 42 deaths in Morelos state, just south of Mexico City

- Additional reporting NZME