By Ronaldo Schmeidt, AFP/Getty Images
An earthquake measuring 7.4 struck today in southern Mexico, about 110 miles from Acapulco, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.
Update at 6:10 p.m. ET: The governor of Guerrero state is now saying that least 800 homes collapsed in Igualapa, CNN reports. Igualapa is a city of about 10,000 people in the coastal region south of Chilpancingo.
Update at 5:07 p.m. ET: The USGS says the quake was caused by "thrust-faulting on or near the plate boundary interface between the Cocos and North America plates" along the Pacific coast.
Historically, there have been several significant earthquakes along the southern coast of Mexico. In 1932, a magnitude 8.4 thrust earthquake struck in the region of Jalisco, several hundred kilometers to the northwest of today's event. On October 9, 1995 a magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck in the Colima-Jalisco region, killing at least 49 people and leaving 1,000 homeless. The deadliest nearby earthquake occurred in the Michoacan region 470 km to the northwest of today's event, on September 19, 1985. This magnitude 8.0 earthquake killed at least 9,500 people, injured about 30,000, and left 100,000 people homeless. More recently, a 2003 magnitude 7.6 Colima, Mexico earthquake 640 km to the northwest of today's event killed 29 people, destroyed more than 2,000 homes and left more than 10,000 homeless.By USGS
Update at 5:01 p.m. ET: The governor of Guerrero has released a statement saying that about 500 homes in the state have collapsed, though there are no reports of deaths, BBC radio just reported.
Update at 4:56 p.m. ET: AP says more than 60 homes were damaged near the epicenter in Ometepec, in southern Guerrero state, but there were no reports of death or serious injury. At least one building in Mexico City appeared to be near collapsing.
By Alexandre Meneghini, AP
Update at 4:25 p.m. ET: In its revision, the USGS says the earth ruptured 12.4 miles deep, double its initial estimate.
In Mexico City, a Los Angeles Times reporter writes that "there was an initial rocking, a pause and then a much stronger, sustained rocking motion that swayed buildings in many parts of the capital."
A BBC reporter estimated that the earth shook for about a minute, a virtual eternity to people experiencing a big quake. But that's nowhere near the longest shaking ever recorded. That record is held by the December 2004 quake off Sumatra, Indonesia. Scientists determined that the magnitude-9.1 rupture, which generated huge tsunamis and killed more than 283,000 people, shook for almost 10 minutes.
"Normally, a small earthquake might last less than a second; a moderate sized earthquake might last a few seconds. This earthquake lasted between 500 and 600 seconds," said Charles Ammon, associate professor of geosciences at Penn State University, according to a CNN report in 2005.
And though big at magnitude 7.4, today's quake does not crack the list of the largest. The March 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Japan registered at magnitude 9.
Update at 3:56 p.m. ET: The U.S. Geological Survey haslowered the quake's magnitude to 7.4.
A magnitude-5.1 aftershock rattled the capital. The quake was centered near the borders of Oaxaca and Guerrero states.
Update at 3:35 p.m. ET: USA TODAY's Laura Bly writes that although there are no immediate reports of major damage, the quake "is more bad news for a tourism industry already on the defensive from the country's protracted drug war."
"In light of today's earthquake, we can confirm that Malia Obama is safe and was never in danger," said Kristina Schake, communications director for Michelle Obama.
AFP reported Monday that the Obamas' oldest daughter was south of the border for spring break, accompanied by 25 Secret Service agents. But later in the day the report mysteriously vanished, without explanation, from several sites, including Yahoo News and the Huffington Post. That prompted speculation the White House had asked news organizations to pull the report. Today, Schake confirmed that is indeed what happened. Here's what Politico says:
"From the beginning of the administration, the White House has asked news outlets not to report on or photograph the Obama children when they are not with their parents and there is no vital news interest," Kristina Schake, Communications Director to the First Lady, told me via email. "We have reminded outlets of this request in order to protect the privacy and security of these girls."
By Yuri Cortez, AFP/Getty Images
Original post by Douglas Stanglin:
Update at 2:55 p.m. ET: The earthquake felt strong and long, but there was no sign of damage near downtown Oaxaca, says Spanish teacher Sandra Rivera at the Becari Language School in the city, about 150 miles east of the quake's epicenter.
Rivera tells USA TODAY's Oren Dorell by phone that she was seated when the quake hit and that it lasted so long "I had time to stand up go out to the patio, go outside the building and we were still feeling the earthquake."
When she and colleagues returned to the school building a second quake hit that was not as strong, she says.
She says six students at the school at the time, along with other residents from the neighborhood, were standing in the city streets "because it seems to be safer than going in the houses," Rivera says. There was no visible damage to buildings and people are calm, but an earthquake alarm system continued to sound "so that's what makes us nervous," she says.
Update at 2:49 p.m. ET: An aftershock shakes Mexico City after a magnitude-7.6 earthquake, the Associated Press reports.
Update at 2:40 p.m. ET: The Miami Herald reports that Mexican President Felipe Calderon has posted a tweet saying that no heavy damage has been reported due to the quake.
Update at 2:24 p.m. ET: The Associated Press reports that the strong, long earthquake in Guerrero state shook central southern Mexico, swaying buildings in Mexico City.
The jolt, six miles underground, sent frightened workers and residents into the streets.
Mexico's National Seismological Survey said the temblor had an epicenter southwest of Ometepec.
Update at 2:21 p.m. ET: The U.S. Geological Survey puts the center of the quake 115 miles east of Acapulco. It puts the initial magnitude at 7.9.
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