MEXICO CITY — A powerful earthquake in southern Mexico shook buildings in this mega city Tuesday, sending objects tumbling from shelves, cracking walls and emptying buildings of millions of frightened residents who fled into the streets.
There were no reports of fatalities, however, in what officials said was the strongest quake to hit this city since an 8.0 temblor in 1985 killed as many as 10,000 people.
At least six aftershocks struck the city.
The quake hit at 12:02 p.m. local time and lasted for more than a minute. Communication networks were jammed in the quake’s immediate aftermath. Utility lines fell to the ground in much of central Mexico City.
President Felipe Calderon, traveling in Monterrey in northern Mexico, said: “Fortunately, there are no reports of serious damage.”
There was some confusion on where the quake had taken place. The U.S. Geological Survey, which said the quake measured 7.4 on the Richter scale and happened 12 miles underground, placed the epicenter in Oaxaca state 200 miles southeast of the capital. Mexican seismological authorities reported, however, that the epicenter was a bit farther north, in Ocotepec in Guerrero state, home to the Pacific resort of Acapulco.
Because the quake took place under land, there was no threat of a tsunami.
A pedestrian overpass fell on a small bus in Azcapotzalco, a northwestern borough of Mexico City, but caused no injuries.
Local radio stations said some people were injured as they evacuated buildings. Television networks showed legislators running out of Congress in mid-session.
Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said the noontime quake opened cracks in walls, and buildings subject to tilting leaned further. Power went off in many districts, but there were no cuts to water or other “strategic services,” he said.
“Right now, we don’t have major damage — that is to say collapsed buildings,” Ebrard said, noting that disaster personnel had flown over the city to assess the damage.
“It was really strong,” said Sergio Cuevas, a graphic designer who was in his third-floor office. “It lasted for a really long time.”
The peal of police sirens sounded across the city as people milled on sidewalks, scurrying for safety amid each aftershock. With many traffic signals out, traffic was snarled.
“It seemed like forever to get out of the building because plaster was falling,” said Larry Fisher, an American retiree living in Mexico City’s La Condesa neighborhood.
Mexico City’s airport continued to operate normally, turning back only one flight from Houston, according to Milenio television.
In Oaxaca, the state where the quake was strongest, buildings shook fiercely but damage was limited.
Tuesday’s quake evoked memories of a powerful one in 1985. Thousands who had yet to leave their homes for work when that quake struck shortly after 7 a.m. died when their apartment complexes collapsed.
Alberto Serur, a tax auditor, said Tuesday’s shaking was “almost as bad as 1985.”
