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Powerful Quake Rattles Mexico


A powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake has rattled central and southern Mexico.

Buildings swayed, windows shattered and people rushed into the street during Friday's quake, which was felt in Mexico City, about 270 kilometers from the quake's epicenter. Officials say there are no immediate reports of injuries or major damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially measured the earthquake at 7.5 magnitude but later downgraded it. The USGS says the quake's epicenter was less than 40 kilometers north of Tecpan, near the Pacific resort city of Acapulco. It had a depth of about 24 kilometers.



Mexico City is vulnerable to even distant earthquakes because it is built on top of soft soil from a drained lake. An 8.1-magnitude quake in Mexico killed at least 6,000 people in 1985.
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