22 Jan 2012

Quake off southern Mexico

9:55 am on 22 January 2012

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake has occurred off the state of Chiapas in southern Mexico.

It was beneath the Pacific Ocean about 55km south-west of the city of Mapastepec, near the border with Guatemala.

The US Geological survey said it occurred at 12.27pm on Saturday at a depth of 40 miles.

The tremor was felt hundreds of miles away in El Salvador's capital, San Salvador.

The BBC reports there were no early reports of major damage or casualties.

In 1985, a magnitude 8.1 quake off the Pacific coast killed at least 10,000 people in the capital, Mexico City, 350km away.