At least 1 dead after 7.0 quake shakes Acapulco, Mexico City

MEXICO CITY, Mexico -- A powerful earthquake struck near the Pacific resort city of Acapulco on Tuesday night, killing at least one person and causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City hundreds of kilometers away.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 and was centered 17 kilometers (about 10 miles) northeast of Acapulco. It was measured at an initial depth of 7.8 miles (12.6 kilometers).

The U.S. tsunami warning system initially reported there was a threat of a tsunami following the quake, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But it later said the threat of potential waves had passed.

Guerrero state Gov. Hector Astudillo said that one person had been killed by a falling post in the town of Coyuca de Benitez near Acapulco. The victim was identified as a 19-year-old man named Eliodoro Hurtado.

Acapulco's mayor indicated there were no "serious situations" in the resort city, though there were reports of gas leaks, landslides and fallen walls. “There are nervous breakdowns, people are worried because there have been aftershocks,” Mayor Adela Román said, adding that there were “many gas leaks in many places."

In Mexico City, more than 320 kilometers (nearly 200 miles) away, the ground shook for nearly a minute in some parts of the capital - but was less evident in other parts. Some people evacuated their buildings briefly, but most quickly went back inside on a rain night. Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said there were no reports of significant damage in the city, though electricity was knocked out for many people and authorities worked into the overnight hours to restore power. The city's metro service said in a statement that train service had resumed after it conducted a protocol review due to the quake.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said via Twitter that authorities in the four states that most felt the earthquake told him there were some collapsed walls and falling rocks, but “fortunately there is not serious damage.”

Mexico’s National Civil Defense said it was conducting reviews in 10 states, but had not received reports of serious damage either.

Earthquakes are not uncommon in Mexico because of its location at the edge of the North American tectonic plate.

In fact, Tuesday night’s earthquake occurred four years to the day after a magnitude-8.2 earthquake that struck off the coast of Mexico’s southern state of Chiapas, largely destroying the town of Juchitan in neighboring Oaxaca state and killing dozens.

Another major quake struck the country back on Sept. 19, 1985. That magnitude-8.0 temblor killed an estimated 9,500 people in and around Mexico City. The quake left a huge scar on the city, resulting in changes in building codes and greater protections against earthquakes.