Mexico rocked by strong earthquake

A powerful earthquake that struck southern Mexico on Tuesday night claimed at least one victim and was felt in Mexico City nearly 322 kilometers (200 miles) away.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 and was centered around 11 miles (17 kilometers) north of the popular tourist destination Acapulco.

What do we know so far?

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake was relatively shallow at just 12 miles beneath the surface, the USGS said, which would have increased the shaking.

The first recorded casualty was a man from Coyuca de Benitez, a town just west of Acapulco. He died when an electric pole fell on top of him, Guerrero governor Hector Astudillo told a local television station.

Having issued a warning in the immediate aftermath of the quake, the US Tsunami warning system said there was "no tsunami warning, watch, or threat after quake in Guerrero."

Acapulco Mayor Adela Roman said in statement to broadcaster Milenio that "there is no really serious situation." Some utility poles and other objects fell on vehicles and a church facade collapsed, the AFP news agency reported.

"There are nervous breakdowns, people are worried because there have been aftershocks," she said, adding that there are "gas leaks in many places."

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the quake had sent rocks tumbling down hillsides and damaged walls. 

"Fortunately there hasn't been serious damage" in the state of Guerrero, where Acapulco is situated, or the neighboring region of Oaxaca, or in Mexico City, Lopez Obrador said.

Lights out for 1.6 million in Mexico City

In Mexico City, the ground shook for nearly a minute, causing a number of people to immediately evacuate their buildings, fearing the worst.

At least 1.6 million electricity users were affected by the quake, the Mexican state power authority, the Comission Federal de Electricidad said.

Lights went out in the Roma Sur neighborhood in the heart of Mexico City but there were no early reports of serious damage in the capital.

Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum later reported that electricity had been reestablished throughout most of the city.  

Volatile seismic region

All of the west coast of the American continent is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, where 90% of all quakes occur, according to the USGS.

Temblors are common in Mexico, witha 7.1 magnitude quake in September 2017 killing 369 people, 228 of them in the capital.

One of the most deadly quakes to hit Mexico City had a magnitude of 8.0 and claimed at least 10,000 lives in 1985.

jsi, jc/rs (AP, Reuters)