MEXICO CITY (AP) — A powerful earthquake centered near the Mexican resort town of Huatulco has killed at least two people, officials said Tuesday.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake had a magnitude of 7.4 and was centered along the Pacific coast of Oaxaca state. It hit at 11:29 a.m. ET at a depth of 16 miles and the epicenter was about 7 miles south-southwest of Santa Maria Zapotitlan, USGS says.
Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, said one person was killed and another injured in a building collapse in Huatulco. Otherwise he said reports were of minor damage such as broken windows and collapsed walls.
Oaxaca state's governor reported a second death.
The quake caused buildings in Mexico City to sway and sent thousands of residents into the city’s streets Tuesday. Seismic alarms sounded mid-morning with enough warning for residents to exit buildings.
Helicopters flew over downtown Mexico City and police patrols sounded their sirens.
