Powerful earthquake strikes the Gulf of California

Powerful earthquake strikes the Gulf of California

2010-10-22 01:12:46 GMT+7 (ICT)

LOS MOCHIS, MEXICO (BNO NEWS) -- A powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the Gulf of California on late Thursday morning, seismologists and residents said.

The earthquake at 11.53 a.m. local time was centered in the Gulf of California, approximately 105 kilometers (65 miles) south of Los Mochis, a coastal city in Mexico's Sinaloa.

People in the coastal area fled their homes as the quake struck, witnesses said. It was not immediately clear if there was any damage or if there were casualties.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no widespread tsunami threat, but warned for the possibility of local tsunamis in the area.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-10-22