Thousands of Mexicans were woken from sleep early morning on Friday after a 6.0magnitude earthquake struck the city. The epicenter of the quake was the Pacific coast state of Guerrero, and the focus just 18 miles below the earth’s surface. However, there were no reports of any deaths or widespread damage, yet few suffered panic attacks.
Dozens of buildings in Mexico City were evacuated fearing structural damage, and were being inspected to determine if they were still safe. The quake knocked out power to about 20 percent of the homes in the city’s downtown district. The residents spent their night in the parks. Several aftershocks followed, including one of a magnitude 5.4 that was felt throughout much of southern Mexico.
Mexico is located on the converging American plate. The capital city is built on a sandy lake bed that shifts and magnifying earthquakes have been reported here. Many still remember the magnitude-8.1 quake in 1985 that killed some 10,000 people as it leveled parts of Mexico City.
The quake lasted less than a minute but was strongly felt by residents in Mexico City.
via: MSNBC