Strong earthquake strikes western Mexico, killing 2

Strong earthquake strikes western Mexico, killing 2

2011-12-12 06:37:26 GMT+7 (ICT)

IGUALA, MEXICO (BNO NEWS) -- Two people were killed on early Saturday evening when a strong earthquake struck western Mexico, officials said on Sunday. The shaking was felt as far away as Mexico City.

The 6.5-magnitude earthquake at 7.47 p.m. local time (0147 GMT Sunday) was centered about 42 kilometers (26 miles) southwest of Iguala, a city in the state of Guerrero. It struck about 58 kilometers (36 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the Mexican Seismological Service (SSN).

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimated that some 952,000 people in the region near the epicenter may have felt strong shaking, while as many as 39.6 million people further away may have felt light to moderate shaking.

On the Mexico City-Acapulco highway, the driver of a small van was killed and two female passengers were injured when a rock fell from a hill and crushed the vehicle. In Iguala, an 11-year-old child was killed when the roof of a building collapsed.

Overall, some 70 homes in Guerrero were reported to have sustained damage, injuring at least one more person. "Based on citizen reports, there were cracks in roofs, fences, schools, commercial centers and diverse terrain but without major consequences," the state said in a statement.

In Mexico City, about 166 kilometers (103 miles) north-northeast of the epicenter, scores of people fled from buildings although no serious damage was reported. Several areas of the capital were without power after the earthquake, but services were quickly restored.

Mexico is on the so-called 'Pacific Ring of Fire', an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent and large earthquakes. Volcanic eruptions also occur frequently.

In September 1985, at least 9,500 people were killed and more than 30,000 others were injured when a major 8.1-magnitude earthquake struck the state of Michoacan. Thousands of buildings were destroyed, including more than 400 in Mexico City, in what remains the country's deadliest earthquake in recent history.

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