MEXICO CITY (AP) — A magnitude-6.5 earthquake shook a wide area of southern and central Mexico on Thursday, sending people fleeing into the streets, but there were no initial reports of damage.
The epicenter was located near the town of Las Choapas, about 370 miles southeast of Mexico City, where it swayed buildings for several seconds. In the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, people ran from their homes and schoolchildren assembled on playgrounds.
But Veracruz Gov. Javier Duarte de Ochoa said there was no damage near the epicenter or in major cities in the oil-producing state.
“Veracruz is completely quiet without problems,” he told state television. “It was felt all over the state, but nothing major happened. It was only a scare.”
The temblor also was felt strongly in the state of Chiapas, bordering Guatemala, where there also were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit at a depth of 104 miles.
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