Earthquake shaking south and central Mexico, preliminary magnitude of 7.2

World Today

A powerful earthquake shook south and central Mexico Friday, causing people to flee buildings and office towers in the country’s capital, and setting off quake alert systems.

CGTN’s Alasdair Baverstock gave us this Facebook Live from Mexico City.

Twitter user @daviddelapaz shared this video of the inside of a building as the earthquake gripped the city.

Crowds of people gathered on central Reforma Avenue in Mexico City as the ground shook. Another Twitter user shared the street scene as local buildings were evacuated.

The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake’s preliminary magnitude at 7.2 and said its epicenter was 33 miles (53 kilometers) northeast of Pinotepa in Oaxaca state. It had a depth of 15 miles (24 kilometers).

The epicenter is a rural area of western Oaxaca state near the Pacific coast and the border with Guerrero state.

The Oaxaca state civil protection agency said via Twitter that it was monitoring the coastline.

This story is developing. Return to this page for updates.