Quake rocks Mexico City

A 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Mexico’s western Guerrero state today, shaking buildings and causing panic just over 100 miles away in the nation’s capital.

Mexico City's mayor Marcelo Ebrard said on Twitter that no major damage had been reported, although there were some power failures in parts of the city.

The US Geological Service estimated the quake’s magnitude at 6.7, after an initial reading of 6.8. It said the quake was centred about 26 miles south west of Iguala in Guerrero – 103 miles south-south west of Mexico City.

A Twitter message from President Felipe Calderon said one person had been reported injured by a collapsed ceiling in the Guerrero town of Tuxpan, which is near Iguala. It said there were no other reports of casualties in the quake area.

Parts of Mexico City rest on the shaky soil of a former lake bed, which tends to magnify the effect of earthquakes. An 8.1-magnitude quake in 1985 killed as many as 10,000 people in the city.