Mexico: Powerful earthquake kills at least 2 people

The magnitude 6.5 earthquake shook the center and south of the country, which is one of the most seismically active in the world. The capital Mexico City and tourist hotspot Acapulco were affected.

A powerful earthquake struck central and southern Mexico on Friday, killing at least two people, officials said.

The magnitude 6.5 quake struck near the tourist hotspot of Acapulco, in Guerrero state on the Pacific coast.

The tremor was also felt around 400 kilometers (250 miles) away in the capital, Mexico City, where President Claudia Sheinbaum had to interrupt a press conference to evacuate the presidential palace.

What do we know about the earthquake?

The earthquake's epicenter was 14 kilometers outside of San Marcos, a town in the southwestern state of Guerrero, Mexico's National Seismological Service said.

Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado said a woman in her 50s was killed "when her house collapsed on top of her."

Around 50 houses in San Marcos were destroyed, Mayor Misael Lorenzo Castillo said, adding that "all the houses have cracks."

In the capital, a man in his 60s fell to his death while evacuating from his second-floor apartment in Mexico City, local authorities said.

Mexico City mayor Clara Brugada said 12 others were injured. 

Mexico's seismological service reported over 420 aftershocks by midday local time, with the strongest registered a magnitude 4.7.

Mexico prone to earthquakes

Mexico is one of the world's most seismically active countries, as it is located between five tectonic plates.

In 1985, nearly 13,000 people died after an 8.1 magnitude earthquake hit Mexico City.

In 2017, a 7.1 magnitude quake left 369 people dead, mostly in the capital.

Edited by: Karl Sexton