Powerful earthquake strikes southwest Mexico
Sep 7, 2021, 9:18 PM | Updated: 9:49 pm
The US Geological Survey says the 7.0 magnitude quake struck about eight miles from the beach resort city of Acapulco, and pictured, view of damaged cars outside a hotel after a quake in Acapulco, Guerrero state, Mexico on September 7. (Francisco Robles/AFP/Getty Images)
(Francisco Robles/AFP/Getty Images)
(CNN) — A powerful earthquake struck the southwest of Mexico late Tuesday.
The United States Geological Survey said the 7.0 magnitude quake struck 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) east-northeast of Los Órganos de San Agustín, about eight miles from the Pacific Coast beach resort city of Acapulco. It was measured at an initial depth of 7.8 miles (12.6 kilometers).
The US tsunami warning system reports there is a threat of a tsunami following the quake, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In Mexico City, alarms could be heard shortly before the ground started shaking.
Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said on her Twitter account that there were no initial reports of major damage in the capital, which is about 231 miles (372 kilometers) from the epicenter. Sheinbaum said that many people had lost electricity and authorities were working to restore power. The city’s metro service said in a statement that train service has been resumed after it conducted a protocol review due to the quake.
Earthquakes are not uncommon in Mexico because of its location at the edge of the North American tectonic plate. Two major quakes struck the country in September 2017, and on September 19, 1985, a magnitude-8.0 temblor killed an estimated 9,500 people in and around Mexico City. That quake left a huge scar on the city, resulting in changes in building codes and greater protections against earthquakes.
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