Powerful earthquake rattles Mexico, shakes buildings

A powerful earthquake shook Mexico on Friday, damaging more than 100 homes in the southwestern state of Guerrero and opening cracks in some buildings but there were no reports of deaths.

According to Reuters, striking close to the popular beach resort of Acapulco, the 7.2 magnitude quake sent people scurrying out of homes and hotels, causing brief panic from the Pacific coast to states in central and eastern parts of Mexico.

At least 127, mostly adobe homes were damaged in Guerrero. In the state capital Chilpancingo, a tower of the cathedral suffered cracks along with a few other public buildings, a spokesman for local emergency services said.

But there were no reports of deaths or major damage.

Some people in Mexico City fled homes in panic when the quake hit. Electricity was cut off in parts of the city and some residents said paintings fell off the walls, while small parts of masonry crumbled inside apartment buildings.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake’s epicenter was about 37 km (23 miles) north of the municipality of Tecpan de Galeana in Guerrero, and it struck at the relatively shallow depth of about 24 km (15 miles).