A parked car suffered damage when a adobe wall collapsed on it after a strong earthquake shook Chilpancingo, Mexico, Friday morning, April 18, 2014. A powerful magnitude-7.2 earthquake shook central and southern Mexico but there were no early reports of major damage or casualties. (AP Photo/Alejandrino Gonzalez).
A strong 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck 170 miles (273 kilometers) southwest of Mexico City at about 9:30 a.m. (10:30 a.m. EDT; 1430 GMT) on Friday shaking central and southern Mexico .
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake was centered 22 miles (36 kilometers) northwest of the town of Tecpan de Galeana, and was 15 miles (24 kilometers) deep.
There were reports of cracked walls, fallen fences and walls, fallen trees, broken windows and a power outage but there were no reports of major damage or casualties.
USGS seismologist Gavin Hayes said that the earthquake occurred along a section of the Pacific Coast known as the Guerrero Seismic Gap, a 125-mile (200-kilometer) section where tectonic plates meet and have been locked, meaning huge amounts of energy are being stored up with potentially devastating effects.
A damaged abandoned home is seen at the Juarez neighborhood after a strong earthquake jolted Mexico City, Friday, April 18, 2014. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
A damaged abandoned house is seen at the Juarez neighborhood after a strong earthquake jolted Mexico City, Friday, April 18, 2014. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo).
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