A powerful earthquake struck near the Pacific resort city of Acapulco on Tuesday night, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away.
Mexico_Earthquake_91916 A couple walks past a taxi cab that was damaged by falling debris after a strong earthquake in Acapulco, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/ Bernardino Hernandez)
AP Photo/ Bernardino Hernandez
Mexican Marines walk on a street covered by debris after a strong earthquake in Acapulco, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/ Bernardino Hernandez)
AP Photo/ Bernardino Hernandez
Locals sit on a sidewalk after a strong earthquake in Acapulco, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/ Bernardino Hernandez)
AP Photo/ Bernardino Hernandez
Mexico_Earthquake_43929 A man walks in from of a convenience store on a street covered with debris after a strong earthquake, in Acapulco, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/ Bernardino Hernandez)
AP Photo/ Bernardino Hernandez
A man ducks under police tape, on a street covered with debris after a strong earthquake in Acapulco, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/ Bernardino Hernandez)
AP Photo/ Bernardino Hernandez
Mexico_Earthquake_00471 A man stands next to row of ATM's surrounded by debris after a strong earthquake, in Acapulco, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/ Bernardino Hernandez)
AP Photo/ Bernardino Hernandez
People gather outside thier building with their pet after a strong earthquake, in Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
AP Photo/Marco Ugarte
People gather outside a building after a strong earthquake, in Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
AP Photo/Marco Ugarte
People gather outside a building after a strong earthquake, in Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
AP Photo/Marco Ugarte
A couple embraces outside a building after a strong earthquake, in Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
AP Photo/Marco Ugarte
People stand under the rain after a strong earthquake on Reforma avenue in Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/Nelson Antoine)
AP Photo/Nelson Antoine
People gather outside on the sidewalk after a strong earthquake was felt, in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away (AP Photo/Leslie Mazoch)
AP Photo/Leslie Mazoch
Residents take cover from the rain under an awning after an earthquake alarm sent them out of their home, in the lobby of an apartment building in the Valle del Sur neighborhood of Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. A powerful earthquake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco on Tuesday night, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/Anita Baca)
AP Photo/Anita Baca
People gather outside on the sidewalk after a strong earthquake was felt, in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away (AP Photo/Leslie Mazoch)
AP Photo/Leslie Mazoch
A woman talks with family members on her cell to let them know she and her mother, right, are safe after an earthquake alarm sent them out of their home, in the lobby of an apartment building in the Valle del Sur neighborhood of Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. A powerful earthquake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco on Tuesday night, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/Anita Baca)
AP Photo/Anita Baca
Health workers check their mobile phones as they stand outside Veracruz General Hospital after a strong earthquake, in Veracruz, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
AP Photo/Felix Marquez
People check their mobile phones outside Veracruz General Hospital after a strong earthquake, in Veracruz, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
AP Photo/Felix Marquez
Health workers communicate on their mobile phones as they stand outside Veracruz General Hospital after a strong earthquake, in Veracruz, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
AP Photo/Felix Marquez
Health workers check on their mobile phones as they stand outside Veracruz General Hospital after a strong earthquake, in Veracruz, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)
AP Photo/Felix Marquez
People gather outside on the sidewalk after a strong earthquake was felt, in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/Leslie Mazoch)
AP Photo/Leslie Mazoch
People gather outside on the sidewalk after a strong earthquake was felt, in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. The quake struck southern Mexico near the resort of Acapulco, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. (AP Photo/Leslie Mazoch)
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A powerful earthquake struck near the Pacific resort city of Acapulco on Tuesday night, killing at least one person and causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City hundreds of kilometers away.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7 and was centered 17 kilometers (about 10 miles) northeast of Acapulco.
Guerrero state Gov. Hector Astudillo told Milenio Television late Tuesday night that one person had been killed by a falling post in the town of Coyuca de Benitez near Acapulco.
“We heard loud noise from the building, noise from the windows, things fell inside the house, the power went out,” said Sergio Flores, an Acapulco resident reached by phone. “We heard leaking water, the water went out of the pool and you heard people screaming, very nervous people.”
Flores said all he could do when it started shaking was hug his wife. He saw people leaving hotels around the bay and some running into parking decks to remove their cars, fearing a collapse.
“We were all worried about some change in the sea, but so far authorities have not said anything about a tsunami alert,” he said.
Astudillo said the tsunami alert center had not registered any variations in the sea level. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said the threat of potential waves had passed.
The mayor of Acapulco, Adela Román, said in statement to the television news outlet Milenio that “there is no really serious situation” so far and no reports of casualties.
“There are nervous breakdowns; people are worried because there have been aftershocks,” she said, adding that there are “many gas leaks in many places” as well as some landslides and fallen walls.
Before the first death was reported, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said via Twitter that authorities in the four states that most felt the earthquake told him there were no victims or serious damage beyond some collapsed walls and falling rocks.
“Fortunately there is not serious damage,” he said.
Mexico’s National Civil Defense said it was conducting reviews in 10 states, but had not received reports of victims nor serious damage.
In Mexico City, more than 320 kilometers (nearly 200 miles) away, the ground shook for nearly a minute in some parts of the capital, but the quake was less evident in other parts. Some people evacuated their buildings briefly, but most quickly went back inside on a rainy night.
“I was at home with my mom and my dogs and the seismic alert started to sound,” said Claudia Guarneros, a makeup artist. “My mother was in another room and I started to call her. The house started moving and in the last part of the earthquake the power went out and we couldn’t see anything, we just saw some things falling.”
Mexico City authorities said there were no early reports of significant damage in the city, though electricity was knocked out in some neighborhoods. Some broken windows in a downtown high rise covered the sidewalk in glass.
Arturo Hernández stood outside the relatively new apartment building he moved into just three years ago. Beside it stood a taller building abandoned since the magnitude-7.1 earthquake of Sept. 19, 2017, in neighboring Puebla state that caused major damage in the capital.
Hernández heard the seismic alarm and made it outside before the ground began to shake. The abandoned building next to his continued to crack and moan for three minutes after the shaking stopped, he said. Asked if he had worried about the damaged building next door, he said, “Always, always.”
Tuesday’s earthquake occurred four years to the day after a magnitude-8.2 earthquake that struck off the coast of Mexico’s southern state of Chiapas, largely destroying the town of Juchitan in neighboring Oaxaca state and killing dozens.
