Children buried in a school that collapsed in Mexico’s massive earthquake have reportedly sent relatives messages pleading for help.

A powerful earthquake convulsed Mexico on Tuesday, killing hundreds and flattening buildings throughout central Mexico. At least 25 people, most of them children, were reported dead when the Enrique Rebsamen School in Mexico City collapsed.

As rescuers dig frantically for survivors, some of the children trapped in the rubble are reportedly conveying messages to loved ones waiting for them outside.

Parents told the newspaper El Universal that youngsters trapped in the rubble communicated via the messaging app WhatsApp, with one girl reportedly writing, “I'm fine, I'm with four other trapped children, help us, we're thirsty.”

The Associated Press reported that the rumour of WhatsApp messages ricocheted through a crowd of waiting parents but could not be verified. According to Reuters, parents spoke of receiving text messages from trapped loved ones.

Images and first-person accounts from the scene depict a concerted effort to pull children from what remains of the school, with volunteers describing a community-wide effort to come to the aid of the trapped youngsters. Reuters described the harrowing rescue of a young girl who was slowly and painstakingly extracted from the rubble.

Mexico City earthquake in pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Mexico City earthquake in pictures Mexico City earthquake in pictures A handout picture provided by the citizen Edgar Cabalceta shows a general view of Mexico City following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake, in Mexico City, Mexico EPA Mexico City earthquake in pictures Rescuers and residents look for victims amid the ruins of a building knocked down by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that jolted central Mexico damaging buildings, knocking out power and causing alarm throughout the capital on September 19, 2017 in Mexico City, Mexico. The earthquake comes 32 years after a magnitude-8.0 earthquake hit on September 19, 1985 Getty Images Mexico City earthquake in pictures A police officer stands guard near a building which collapsed after a quake rattled Mexico City RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images Mexico City earthquake in pictures Rescuers, firefighters, policemen, soldiers and volunteers remove rubble and debris from a flattened building in search of survivors after a powerful quake in Mexico City AFP/Getty Images Mexico City earthquake in pictures Rescuers and residents look for victims amid the ruins of a building knocked down by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that jolted central Mexico damaging buildings, knocking out power and causing alarm throughout the capital on September 19, 2017 in Mexico City Getty Images Mexico City earthquake in pictures People try to rescue survivors from a collapsed buildings after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake on the Richter scale in Mexico City, Mexico, 19 September 2017. At least 79 people lost their lives in the states of Morelos, Puebla and Mexico by the earthquake of magnitude 7.1 on the Richter scale. EPA Mexico City earthquake in pictures People clear rubble after an earthquake hit Mexico City, Mexico REUTERS Mexico City earthquake in pictures People clear rubble after an earthquake hit Mexico City, Mexico REUTERS Mexico City earthquake in pictures Rescuers and residents assists an injured victim amid the ruins of a building knocked down by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that jolted central Mexico damaging buildings, knocking out power and causing alarm throughout the capital on September 19, 2017 in Mexico City, Mexico. The earthquake comes 32 years after a magnitude-8.0 earthquake hit on September 19, 1985. Getty Images Mexico City earthquake in pictures People remove debris outside a collapsed building after an earthquake in Mexico City, Mexico REUTERS Mexico City earthquake in pictures People remove debris as they search for possible victims after a quake rattled Mexico City on September 19, 2017. A powerful earthquake shook Mexico City on Tuesday, 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. AFP/Getty Images Mexico City earthquake in pictures A security guard walks over debris of a building which collapsed during a quake in Mexico City AFP/Getty Mexico City earthquake in pictures Reconstruction work in the towns affected by the telic movement has begun. Several temples suffered severe damage. Rex

People laboured amid widespread power shortages that contributed to the chaos flowing from the 7.1-magnitude earthquake.

A doctor who was among the volunteers lending a hand at the school told the Associated Press that rescuers crawled through the devastation on their bellies to find three bodies - one belonging to a child - in a ruined classroom.