22/08/2013 15:00
Acapulco buildings damaged, Mexico City rattled by 6.2-magnitude earthquake
A strong earthquake struck near Mexico's Pacific coast resort of Acapulco on Wednesday, causing cracks in some buildings and knocking bricks and plaster off other structures, The Associated Press reported.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake at 7:38 a.m. (8:38 a.m.; 1238 GMT) had a magnitude of 6.2. It was centered near the Pacific coast and about 60 miles (100 kilometers) east of Acapulco.
No significant injuries were reported, but a chunk of ornamental plaster work fell off the facade of one hotel on Acapulco's once-glamorous main boulevard. Cracks were found in the walls of a university in Acapulco and a concrete entrance gate at a local military base collapsed, said Victor Torres Ruiz, the spokesman for the state government of Guerrero, where Acapulco is located.
An apartment block also suffered structural damage, according to Constantino Gonzalez Vargas, head of the state civil defense office.
Buildings swayed in Mexico City, 170 miles (280 kilometers) to the north, and some people evacuated office buildings as an earthquake alarm sounded. On the city's main boulevard, one man injured his leg as he rushed out of an office building.
Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said there were no reports of damage or serious injuries.