Mexico rocked by 7.8-magnitude quake, damaging buildings and closing airport in southern and central parts of country
A strong earthquake with an estimated magnitude of about 7.8 has rocked Mexico, with the authorities initially reporting minor damage and no loss of life.
The streets of the capital, Mexico City, filled with frightened people evacuated from buildings that swayed dramatically on Tuesday. Telephone networks were immediately saturated and power was cut in much of the capital. Schools reported panic attacks among some children.
The authorities said the epicentre of the quake was located below the Pacific coast near the border between the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero and close to the town of Pinotepa Nacional.
Such movements were felt intensely in the capital despite being hundreds of miles away because the jelly-like ground of the dried out lakebed on which it is built amplifies the impact.
A pedestrian bridge on the outskirts of the city partially collapsed but other initial reports of damage were limited to cracks and inclinations.
About 40 passengers were stranded for a short time on the Mexico City airport air train, but later released. The airport closed for a time but officials said there was no runway damage and they resumed operations.
There were reports of collapsed houses in remote areas closer to the epicentre.
Barack Obama's oldest daughter, Malia, is on holiday with a school group in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. The White House confirmed she was safe and had not been in danger during the quake. Kristina Schake, the first lady's communications director, says Malia, 13, "is safe and was never in danger".
Typically the White House does not comment on the Obama children but made an exception because of the quake.
The earthquake is one of the strongest to hit Mexico since the 8.2 tremor in 1985 that killed thousands in the capital.