24 June

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.4 struck southern Mexico's Pacific coast on Tuesday (Jun 23), killing at least two people, buckling paved roads, and cutting off isolated villages.

The fatalities were near the quake's epicentre in Oaxaca, a mountainous state known for its coffee, mescal and Spanish colonial architecture.

Rockfalls blocked the winding mountain roads between the state capital of Oaxaca City and the coast. A clinic and other buildings in hill villages near the epicentre were severely damaged, images on social media showed.

The US Geological Survey says the epicenter is a coastal area about 145 kilometers southeast of the city of Oaxaca.

The tremor caused buildings to sway in the capital, Mexico City, sending residents running into the streets for safety.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said tsunami waves of around 70 centimeters were observed in Salina Cruz in the state of Oaxaca and neighboring Acapulco.

Footage from the Oaxaca shows rubble from a damaged building.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador says communications with regions near the epicenter have been cut off, and the government is trying to get a clearer understanding of the situation.

Mexico has a long history of devastating earthquakes. In 2017, two powerful earthquakes hit the country in about two weeks, claiming hundreds of lives and damaging infrastructure.

NHK