Two people have died after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the southwestern coast of Mexico, in Michoacan state.
A tsunami waves reaching up to 3 metres could hit Mexico, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has said. Initial tsunami waves have likely already occurred in coastal locations such as Manzanillo and Acapulco, and could strike tourist hotspot Puerto Vallarta imminently as well.
Tsunami waves less than 0.3 meters could also occur along the Pacific coasts of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Peru, according to the organisation.
The earthquake epicentre occurred in a sparsely populated region of Michoacan state, very near the coastline. In nearby Colima, around 100km from epicentre, very strong shaking capable of “moderate” damage was reported, per USGS data.
In Mexico City, roughly 500 km away, “light to moderate” shaking was reported, which is capable of “very light” damage, especially to vulnerable structures. There are no known casualties or damage yet recorded in Mexico City, according to the city’s mayor, Claudia Sheinbaum.
Firefighters closed some buildings in Mexico City to the public due to concerns of collapse.
The quake struck about 37 kilometres south east of the city of Aquila. The quake depth was about 15.1 kilometres, the USGS also reported.
The news comes on the fifth anniversary of the 2017 earthquake that killed 216 people in Mexico City.