Magnitude-7.2 earthquake rattles Mexico
Instagram video courtesy of Wikichava
A magnitude-7.2 earthquake hit Mexico Friday.
The quake was centered northwest of the Pacific resort of Acapulco, where many Mexicans are vacationing for Easter, according to the Associated Press. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The earthquake, which the U.S. Geological Survey initially calculated as a magnitude 7.5, struck about 170 miles southwest of Mexico City.
Mexico’s capital is vulnerable to even distant earthquakes because much of it sits atop the muddy sediments of drained lake beds.
“This earthquake had tremendous power — it lasted 30 seconds, instead of just a few seconds,” journalist James Blears, who’s based near Mexico City, told the UK’s Sky News. “Buildings were swaying and thousands of people have evacuated buildings and are standing in the street.”
— Alertas México (@AlertasMexico) April 18, 2014
México, Chilpancingo, pared de adobe cayó sobre un vehículo. Debido a sismo de 7.0 grados pic.twitter.com/RKfo8l8f3J
— CARLOS GUILLÉN (@cguille1) April 18, 2014