MEXICO CITY — A major 7.6 magnitude earthquake lasting several minutes has struck 200 km (120 miles) east of the tourist resort of Acapulco on Mexico’s Pacific coast shaking buildings as far as the capital.The midday quake was felt hundreds of kilometers away in Mexico City where office employees fled into the street, according to witnesses. Cell phone lines were down and traffic snarled in the capital moments after the quake.
The White House issued a statement confirming President Barack Obama’s 13-year-old daughter Malia, who was on spring break vacation with friends in Mexico, was safe after the quake.
“In light of today’s earthquake, we can confirm that Malia Obama is safe and was never in danger,” said Kristina Schake, spokeswoman for First Lady Michelle Obama.
The U.S. Geological Survey located the epicenter of the quake at 525 km (15 miles) east of Ometepec in Guerrero state at a depth of 18 km (10.9 miles).
It was one of the strongest quakes to shake Mexico City since 1985, when a 8.1 quake left between 6,000 and 30,000 dead, according to officials.
No damage was reported in Oaxaca, near where the quake hit, according to local television.
Earlier it had been reported at 7.9 magnitude and initially as 7.6 magnitude.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon said, via his Twitter account, that there was no serious damage reported from the quake.
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