Strong aftershock shakes southwestern Mexico, no casualties

[News_Editor]

Strong aftershock shakes southwestern Mexico, no casualties

2012-04-03 21:57:42 GMT+7 (ICT)

ACAPULCO, MEXICO (BNO NEWS) -- A strong earthquake struck southwestern Mexico in the early afternoon on Monday, seismologists and witnesses said, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties. It was the largest aftershock since a powerful earthquake last month.

The 6.0 magnitude earthquake at 12.36 pm local time (1736 GMT) was centered about 45 kilometers (28 miles) southwest of Pinotepa Nacional, a city located in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It struck about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the Mexican Seismological Service (SSN).

"I was working on a story when I felt my chair moving around," said Djatmiko Waluyo, a reporter working for BNO News in Mexico City's Roma neighborhood, one of the older and traditional areas not far from downtown, about 338 kilometers (210 miles) from the epicenter. "I jumped up and saw the lamp move a little bit."

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimated that approximately 52,000 people near the epicenter may have felt strong to very strong shaking. An estimated 22.4 million people further away from the epicenter may have felt weak to moderate shaking, the agency said.

"I'm actually in an area where the earthquakes are usually not felt, so I guess it was pretty strong," Waluyo said, adding that a number of office buildings in Mexico City were evacuated as a precaution. Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said there were no reports of damage or casualties.

Monday's earthquake was the strongest aftershock yet to a 7.4-magnitude earthquake which struck the same region of southwestern Mexico late last month, killing at least two people and injuring 11 others. As of Monday afternoon, a total of 295 aftershocks had been recorded, most of them too small to be felt.

Authorities closer to the epicenter also said there were no reports of serious damage.

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

On September 20, 1985, one of the most devastating earthquakes struck the coastal area of Michoacan, although most of the damage was seen in Mexico City. Initial government reports indicated that from 6,000 to 7,000 people died, although further investigations revealed that approximately 10,000 people died.

The 8.1-magnitude earthquake completely or partially destroyed several important buildings such as the General Hospital of Mexico, the Televicentro building, which is now operated by Televisa, one of the country's most important TV networks, as well as several residential buildings.

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