Mexico City was struck by an earthquake on Thursday, September 19, 1985, at 7:19 am local time, of magnitude 8.1. The earthquake was not as deadly or destructive as many similar earthquakes in Asia and other parts of Latin America, it proved to be a disaster politically for the one-party government. The government became paralyzed by its own bureaucracy and corruption, forcing ordinary citizens to create and direct their own rescue efforts and to reconstruct much of the property that was destroyed by themselves.