The epicenter was located near the town of Pinotepa, in the state of Oaxaca, around 300 kilometers southeast of Mexico City and at a depth of 10 kilometers, the Institute said.

The US Geological Service, which monitors earthquakes worldwide, said the quake's magnitude was 5.4 and placed it 12 kilometers southeast of the town of San Pedro Amuzgos, in Oaxaca, at a depth of 36 kilometers at 1230 GMT.

The quake rattled tall buildings in the Mexican capital and activated the city's seismic alarm system, but Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said in a message on Twitter that there had been no damage or casualties.