6.2 quake hits near southern Mexico coast – USGS

MEXICO CITY – A 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck near Mexico’s southern coast on Saturday, US Geological Survey seismologists said, but initial reports indicated there were no injuries.

The quake occurred at a depth of 66 kilometers (41 miles) some 57 kilometers southwest of Mapastepec, in Chiapas state, and was felt as far away as San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador.

Red Cross officials in the nearby town of Tapachula said there had been strong movement underfoot but no injuries, according to radio reports received from Mapastepec.

Much of Mexico lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where most of the world’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

A historic 8.1-magnitude quake struck off Mexico’s Pacific coast in 1985, and while it was centered 350 kilometers from Mexico City, it devastated the capital, killing at least 10,000 people.