by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:55 AM ET, Sat February 2, 2019
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Mexico Friday, shaking buildings hundreds of miles away in the capital.
According to The Associated Press, the United States Geological Survey said the earthquake hit at 8:14 a.m. local time and was centered about 10 miles from Tapachula in the southern state of Chiapas. Scientists measured the depth at about 40 miles.
The strong tremors were felt around 700 miles away in Mexico City, where tall buildings in the Mexican capital swayed from the force. People were evacuated from several buildings along a central boulevard in the city.
Local reports claim no injuries were immediately reported and damage in major cities was minimal or nonexistent. Chiapas civil defense official Arturo Barrientos told The AP cracks formed in the wall of an elementary school in Mexico City, but the children were safely evacuated.
"It was felt pretty strongly, but everything is normal. We went out into the street, and that was it," a local lawyer told The AP. "Those with children in schools went to look for them since there are buildings that are still damaged from 2017."
The vibrations from the quake were also felt in Guatemala and El Salvador.
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