Earthquake strikes southern Mexico

updated 10:21 p.m. ET July 5, 2007

TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, Mexico - A strong earthquake shook parts of southern Mexico on Thursday night, sending thousands of area residents fleeing from buildings into the streets. There were no immediate reports of injury or damage.

The magnitude-6.1 earthquake struck at 8:09 p.m. and was centered near the Chiapas state capital of Tuxtla Gutierrez, 430 miles southeast of Mexico City, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which monitors temblors worldwide.

Thousands of city residents ran out of homes and buildings as the ground trembled and windows rattled. Electricity for much of the city was also cut off for several minutes.

“I was very scared. I thought that everything would fall down,” said Araceli de la Cruz, who ran to the street with her two small children.

The director of Chiapas’ Civil Protection agency, Alfredo Chang, said there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The tremor also rattled buildings in the swampy, oil-rich city of Villahermosa in neighboring Tabasco state. Some buildings in Mexico City also shook, causing residents to flee their homes.

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