Shawn Mendes helps raise $100K for Mexico earthquake relief

Shawn Mendes has launched an online fundraiser to help those affected by the Mexican earthquake just days after he escaped safely from the quake ahead of a planned show in Mexico City.

The Canadian singer-songwriter and his manager, Andrew Gensler, have gotten things started with a $100,000 donation to the fundraiser on GoFundMe's Crowdrise platform. The money will go to "directly to disaster relief in Mexico" via American Red Cross.

The 19-year-old writes that he was in Mexico City on Sept. 19 when the earthquake hit and his concert scheduled for the next day was cancelled. He says "seeing the devastation first hand made me want to do whatever I could to help those impacted."

The quake has reduced buildings to rubble in Mexico and left hundreds dead.