Quake Hits Mexico, No Major Damage Reported Cyntia Barrera and Mica Rosenberg - Reuters
go to original April 2, 2012

People stand on a street after they had evacuated the buildings due to an
earthquake in Mexico City April 2, 2012. (Reuters/Mariana Bazo)

MEXICO CITY - A strong earthquake struck southwest Mexico on Monday, shaking buildings as far away as the capital and prompting people to stream out of their offices onto the streets, though there were no reports of serious damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the tremor registered magnitude 6.3 and centered 175 km (108 miles) east south-east of the tourist resort of Acapulco, not far from where a much more powerful earthquake struck last month.

"It felt strong, but thank God nothing happened to us. Everyone went back (inside) but people are still paranoid about the other one, which felt much stronger," said 30-year-old Esteban Vite in Mexico City's Roma neighborhood.

"Thanks to the authorities, things are better built."

Marcelo Ebrard, the mayor of Mexico City, said there were no initial signs of damage, and telephones were still working. The city's underground metro was still operating, the mayor added.

The airport said one incoming flight was delayed for a few minutes as staff temporarily suspended operations to conduct a precautionary check of the runways. But operations were back to normal, a local official said.

"The magnitude isn't creating a problem for us," said Manuel Mondragon, head of public security in Mexico City, which was devastated by a 8.1 magnitude quake in 1985 that killed thousands of people.

Phone lines went down during the March 20 earthquake of 7.4 magnitude. That tremor unleashed panic in the capital and damaged hundreds of buildings in the states of Guerrero and neighboring Oaxaca in southwest Mexico.

Afterwards, local media said that two people died due to that quake, though many Mexicans expressed surprise that the impact was not more severe. Authorities said stricter building regulations had helped to make the sprawling metropolis more resistant to earthquakes, which are common in Mexico.

The latest quake was measured at a depth of 7.6 miles and located near the border of Guerrero and Oaxaca.

There were no initial reports of damage in Guerrero, a spokesman for local emergency services said.

In Oaxaca City, hotel receptionist Adriana Romero said locals had taken fright from the quake.

"We were scared because we're already a bit shaken up. But it didn't feel really strong," she said.

Additional reporting by Adriana Barrera and Simon Gardner, writing by Dave Graham; editing by Christopher Wilson

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