Powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake shakes Mexico City; workers evacuate buildings

5/8/2014

MEXICO CITY — A strong earthquake on the Pacific coast of Mexico shook the capital today, sending frightened office workers streaming into the streets away from high-rise buildings.

The 6.8-magnitude temblor hit near Tecpan de Galeana in southern Guerrero state about 188 miles southwest of Mexico City, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The quake was very shallow, with a depth of 6.2 miles. There was only mild shaking in the resort city of Acapulco, according to an Associated Press reporter there.

Mexico City is vulnerable to distant earthquakes because much of it sits atop the muddy sediments of drained lake beds. They jiggle like jelly when the quake waves hit.

A 7.2-magnitude quake with an epicenter in the same region shook central and southern Mexico on April 18.

A magnitude-8.1 quake that killed at least 6,000 people and destroyed many buildings in Mexico City in 1985 was centered 250 miles away on the Pacific Coast.