Mexico earthquake: Strong tremor hits Oaxaca state

Image copyrightREUTERS

Image captionIn Mexico City, people were gathering on the streets as the ground shook

A powerful earthquake has hit south-western Mexico, causing buildings to shake in the capital Mexico City, about 350km (217 miles) away.

The epicentre of the 7.2-magnitude tremor was near the town of Pinotepa de Don Luis in the Oaxaca state, the US Geological Survey said.

It said the quake was 24.6km underground.

There was no immediate information about casualties or the extent of damage caused.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that there was no tsunami threat.

After Friday's tremor, people were seen fleeing buildings in the capital as the ground shook.

The authorities activated earthquake alert systems, urging residents to stay outdoors.

Last September, two devastating earthquakes in Mexico killed hundreds of people.

Mexico is one of the most seismically active regions in the world, sitting on top of three of the Earth's largest tectonic plates - the North American, Cocos and Pacific plates.