MEXICO: A magnitude 6.0 earthquake shakes central Mexico causing light damage but scarring many tourists

Tourists and residents alike get a little scare from a 6.0 magnitude earthquake that rocked the beach city of Acapulco as well as Mexico City sending people out into the streets for fear of aftershocks. A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.0 shook Mexico early on Friday (April 13), sending thousands of tourists in Acapulco fleeing into the streets in panic and knocking out electricity as far away as the capital. There were no immediate reports of injuries from the quake, centred in the Pacific coastal state of Guerrero. Tourists, many of them in nightgowns and pyjamas, were evacuated from their hotels in Acapulco, where 20,000 homes lost electricity. Last night we were eating at Sanborn's and the earthquake happened, so, it was scary but it was ok, we came back, we went to sleep and we are going to stay we are going home tomorrow. So its ok, not a big deal," said Rita who was vacationing from the United States. An aftershock, centred close to the first tremor, was felt about three hours later, which the U.S. Geological Survey said was magnitude 5.4. Hundreds of tourists in Acapulco again ran from their hotels. Most were too scared to go back inside so they instead bedded down on benches and pavements. After the first shock, power went down in some areas of Mexico City, which was devastated by a 8.1 magnitude earthquake in 1985 that killed around 10,000 people. Lots of people were sleeping," recounted Frank Cañes who was in Mexico City on business. "We are a group of 10 persons and I think that only a partner and I noticed it (the earthquake) because I was awake working, but the other people that were at the business centre, where I was, were anxious for a moment and started to worry, there was a moment of panic, that passed soon, fortunately is was only a moment." Inhabitants in the capital's central Tlatelolco district, badly hit 22 years ago, rushed out into a main square. Mexican radio said the windows of some homes there were broken. Friday's initial quake hit at 12:42 local time (05:42 GMT) and was centred 40 miles (65 km) northwest of Acapulco, the biggest city in Guerrero and home to around a million people. Fire services in the city rushed out to check for damage. Authorities in the state capital Chilpancingo said they had no reports of serious damage or injuries

ITN Source | April 14, 2007

Tags:. .bedded. .later. .capitals. .hotels. .windows