Tsuanmi alert after powerful earthquake shakes southern, central Mexico
Mexico City: A powerful earthquake has struck the coast of southern Mexico, killing at least one person, buckling paved roads, sending people fleeing their homes into the streets, and triggering a tsunami warning.
One person died in the state of Oaxaca, Governor Alejandro Murat said, after the magnitude 7.4-quake hit the Pacific coastal state mid-morning on Tuesday, local time.
Medical staff and patients gathered outside Alvaro Obregon Hospital in Mexico City during the earthquake.Credit:Bloomberg
Mexico's civil protection agency recommended that residents move away from the coastline to avoid a possible tsunami. Videos on social media showed the ocean's water receding in Oaxaca, a mountainous state that is home to coffee plantations, beach resorts, and Spanish colonial architecture.
"We couldn't walk ... the street was like chewing gum," said Miguel Candelaria, 30, who was working at his computer in his family home in the Oaxaca town of Juchitan when the ground began to tremble.
He said he ran outside with relatives, but they had to stop in the middle of the street as the pavement buckled and rocked.
Neighbours screamed in terror and some shouted out warnings to run from the electricity poles that looked poised to fall, said Candelaria.
A policeman removes rubble from a building damaged by an earthquake in Oaxaca.Credit:AP
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said that, based on preliminary recordings, "hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 1000km of the earthquake epicentre".
Countries that could be affected included Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.
Waves of up to one metre were possible on the Mexican coast, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned.
The USGS said the epicentre of Tuesday's quake was located 69km north-east of the town of Pochutla. It was very shallow, only 26km below the earth's surface, which would have amplified the shaking.
Quakes of such size can be devastating. A 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck central Mexico in 2017 killed 355 people in the capital and the surrounding states.
Helicopters flew over downtown Mexico City and police patrols sounded their sirens after the earthquake struck on Tuesday, local time.
The quake was felt in Guatemala and throughout south and central Mexico.
Alberto Ibanez, a photographer in Oaxaca City, said the quake left a crack in an internal wall in his apartment and knocked books and pots off shelves.
"Everybody fled into the street, it was really strong," Ibanez said.
In Huatulco, a laid-back beach destination known for surfing and small protected coves, the earthquake knocked goods off shelves and some rubble from buildings.
Mari Gonzalez of the Princess Mayev hotel in Huatulco said staff and guests were able to evacuate the building before the quake, but that 45 minutes after the initial quake they were still outside as strong aftershocks continued.
"It was strong, very strong," she said.
People brace themselves against a wall in Mexico City during the earthquake.Credit:AP
Gonzalez said there was some visible broken glass and mirrors, but no major damage. Staff were waiting for the aftershocks to dissipate before fully evaluating the property.
Local news media reported damage to some buildings in the state capital, Oaxaca city.
The USGS estimated that some 2 million people felt strong or moderate shaking and another 49 million felt weak or light shaking.
Situated at the intersection of three tectonic plates, Mexico is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries. The capital is seen as particularly vulnerable due to its location on top of an ancient lake bed.
Reuters, AP with staff reporters