Powerful 7.2-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Mexico

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 hit Oaxaca, Mexico, on Friday evening, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The origin of the quake was reportedly 43 kilometers , or 26.7 miles, deep. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said there was no tsunami threat  to the West Coast of the U.S. and British Columbia or Alaska.

While the epicenter of the earthquake center was in the town of Santiago Ixtayutla, tremors were apparently felt more than 350 miles away in Mexico City.

An earlier USGS report measured the earthquake at a preliminary magnitude of 7.5.

Gerardo Ruiz Esparaza, Mexico’s secretary of communications and transportation, said communication and transport infrastructure was operating normally across the country following the earthquake.

During a preliminary assessment, Oaxaca’s civil protection office reported that there was damage in the city, but no reports of deaths so far .

Videos of the earthquake show buildings swaying as people take cover in hallways and on the street. Some residents held onto parked cars to keep themselves steady as the ground moved.

The earthquake comes just months after a pair of deadly earthquakes struck the country.

On Sept. 7, a massive 8.1-magnitude earthquake  hit southern Mexico, killing at least 98 people. Less than two weeks later, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck central Mexico, devastating parts of Mexico City and leaving more than 350 people dead .

Shortly after Friday’s earthquake stopped, officials said there was no damage reported  in Mexico City.

However, initial photos and footage from Pinotepa de Don Luis and surrounding areas in Oaxaca showed damage to buildings and stores.