5.8-magnitude quake strikes central Mexico

MEXICO CITY: A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck central Mexico early Sunday, so far without any casualties or damage reported, officials said.

The quake struck just after midnight local time (0519 GMT), east of the city of Huitzuco, in Guerrero state, at a depth of about 30 miles (50 kilometers), according to Mexico's National Seismological Service and the US Geological Survey.

The officials downgraded the tremor's magnitude from an initial report of 6.0 on the Richter scale.

Although the quake was felt strongly in the capital, "in the preliminary report, Mexico City was not damaged," Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera wrote on his Twitter feed.

The country's Civil Protection chief Fausto Lugo, meanwhile, told reporters "We have no reports of major incidents. We reviewed the city and have no incidents."

But the power was out in some areas of Mexico City, a local radio station reported, and the strong tremors sparked panic in some restaurants and bars, as customers hastily evacuated.

The international airport said on its social network account it was reviewing its tracks, platforms, fuel and terminal buildings for damage.

And in the coastal resort city of Acapulco, an AFP reporter saw some tourists leave their hotels but said there were no reports of damages.

An 8.1-magnitude earthquake on September 19, 1985 destroyed part of the city and killed 3,700 people, according to official tallies. Civil groups put the death toll from that powerful quake even higher, at around 20,000 people.