Major Earthquake Shakes Mexico

UPDATE: As of Tuesday evening there still have been no reports of serious injuries or deaths, CNN reports, but initial accounts suggesting there had been no significant damage done by the earthquake did not hold true.

The cable news network reports that hundreds of homes had been damaged or destroyed in towns throughout south central Mexico, leaving an untold number of people homeless. Read more here.

Tuesday, March 20: A major earthquake hit Mexico on Tuesday afternoon, shaking buildings in Mexico City and throughout a large southwestern swath of the nation but, if early reports prove accurate, causing relatively little damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey originally pegged the magnitude of the quake at 7.6 but later revised that number down two-tenths of a point. The epicenter was estimated to have been roughly 11 miles underground near the state border between Oaxaxa and Guerrero. It was followed by a 5.1-magnitude aftershock that was also felt in the capital.

The Associated Press reports that with the exception of the collapse of a pedestrian bridge in Mexico City, most of the reported damage has so far been limited to broken windows and crumbling plaster.

Government officials, including the president and the mayor of Mexico City, quickly reported on their Twitter accounts that there had been no immediate reports of major damage caused by the quake or its aftershock.

Still, telephone service throughout much of the affected region was reportedly down, so it may be difficult to gauge how some of the more rural areas fared.