Elsewhere in the capital, life seemed to begin to return to normal. Workers and volunteers still crowded the sites of downed buildings, but traffic resumed on the streets, and businesses opened for the first time since the earthquake. The initial rush — to save people, clear debris, feed and house those in distress — had passed.

Mexico City is awash in resources, so much so that some volunteers and donations there have been turned away in some places. Two hours south, though, Jojutla is a study in scarcity. Aid trucks have begun arriving from Mexico City, but the continued need in Jojutla is in some ways a reflection of the disparity between the capital and the nation’s more rural areas.

“We are asking for help,” said Rosalba Baena Padilla, 70, opening her wallet and counting out the last 20 pesos she had left, a little more than a dollar. “We don’t have work, we don’t have clothes, we don’t have anything.”

In the immediate sense, that need is for food and water. But entire families are camped outside and more than 800 people are in shelters. Workers dressed in red and orange overalls have begun the slow process of assessing damages to buildings. Some families will be able to return home, while others will not be allowed back inside even to collect a few photos of loved ones.

When the earthquake hit, Gloria Arcos Carpio, 62, was buried in her home. Her husband dug her out with his hands and held out hope that she might pull through when he found her still breathing.

But the injuries were too severe. She died, her daughter, Cristina Popoca Arcos, said Thursday, standing across the street, looking at the rubble where the family’s home once stood.

Ms. Popoca broke into sobs as she told the story. A neighbor gently urged her to calm down. “Think of your son,” the neighbor said.