Wide area of Mexico hit by earthquake; preliminary magnitude put at 7.2
By Tracy Wilkinson
MEXICO CITY -- A powerful earthquake shook a wide area of Mexico on Friday, terrifying residents and sending many fleeing into the streets.
There were no initial reports of injuries and only minor damage in the capital, though information from elsewhere in central Mexico was still coming in.
The United States Geological Survey said the quake at about 9:30 a.m. local time had a preliminary magnitude of 7.2, which would make it one of the stronger temblors registered in Mexico City in several years. The quake struck during Mexico's Easter Holiday week.
The quake was 14 miles deep and felt in nine of Mexico's 31 states, according to the USGS, with the epicenter located in the coastal state of Guerrero about 200 miles southwest of the capital.
The Epicenter was near the town of Tecpan about 40 miles up the Pacific Coast from the resort city of Acapulco. The quake struck during Mexico's Easter week holiday.
I can attest to the destructive power of a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. That was the same size of the earthquake that struck Bohol Island in the Philippines where I did some volunteer disaster relief work last Fall. The quake damage on Bohol as severe and spread across a wide area.