Quake rattles Mexico resort

ACAPULCO, Mexico (2nd UPDATE) – A strong earthquake and several aftershocks rattled Mexico on Wednesday, August 21, cracking walls, forcing hotels to evacuate, and causing street lamps to fall in the Pacific resort of Acapulco.

The 6.0-magnitude earthquake swayed buildings as far away as Mexico City, prompting evacuations, but authorities said no damage or injuries were reported in the megalopolis.

The temblor struck as people prepared to head to work and school, with its epicenter located 17 kilometers (10 miles) west of the town of San Marcos in the southern state of Guerrero, the National Seismology Center said.

The earthquake was followed by 8 aftershocks, the strongest reaching 5.62-magnitude strength some 14 kilometers northeast of Acapulco, where rocks from a hill rolled into a street and some hotel facades showed cracks while tourists poured into the streets.

Authorities reported serious damage at 3 schools and Guerrero Governor Angel Aguirre decided to suspend classes as a precaution while the buildings are examined.

Mexico City is 440 kilometers north of San Marcos, but the capital can sense distant earthquakes because it lies on muddy soil from drained lakes.

An 8.1-magnitude earthquake in 1985 left 3,700 people dead in the capital, according to official figures, though civil groups say more than 20,000 died. – Rappler.com