Strong earthquake hits near Acapulco, Mexico, 1 death reported

A powerful earthquake struck southwesternMexiconear the beach resort of Acapulco on Tuesday night, killing at least one man who was crushed by a falling post, and causing rock falls and damaging buildings, authorities said.

The 7.0-magnitude quake, which hit roughly 17 kilometres northeast of Acapulco in Guerrero state, shook the hillsides around the city, downing trees and pitching large boulders onto roads.

State governor Hector Astudillo told local television that a man was killed by a falling post. He and other authorities had earlier said there were no reports of major damage from the quake, which caused power outages in several states.

Mexican President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador said the temblor had not caused major damages in Guerrero, the neighbouring region of Oaxaca,MexicoCity and elsewhere.

Acapulco is roughly 375 kilometresfromMexicoCity.

Quake felt in Mexico City

In the central Roma Sur neighbourhood ofMexicoCity, lights went off and scared residents rushed out, some wearing little more than pyjamas, a Reuters witness said. Residents huddled together in the rain, holding young children or pets.

"It was terrible. It really reminds me of the 1985 quake every time something like this happens," said Yesmin Rizk, a 70-year-old Roma Sur resident.

A massive earthquake that struck the Mexican capital in 1985 killed thousands of people.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, initially measured at a magnitude of 7.4 and later downgraded to 7.0, was relatively shallow, only 20 kilometresbelow the surface, which would have amplified the shaking effect.

Mexican state power utility the Comisin Federal de Electricidad said in a statement 1.6 million users had been affected by the quake inMexicoCity, the adjacent State ofMexico, and the states of Guerrero, Morelos and Oaxaca.