Thaindian News

LOS ANGELES (BNO NEWS) — At least two people were killed and dozens more were injured when a powerful earthquake rocked the U.S. - Mexico border on Sunday afternoon, seismologists and officials said. There were reports of serious and widespread damage in Mexico, but there were no reports of major damage in the United States.

The 7.2-magnitude earthquake at 3.40 p.m. local time was centered about 45 miles (72.4 kilometers) southeast of El Centro, California, or 16 miles south-southwest of Guadalupe Victoria in Mexico’s Baja California, according to the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Seismological Center of Mexico. It struck about 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) deep, making it an extremely shallow earthquake.

The powerful earthquake was felt as far away as Phoenix and Las Vegas, according to the U.S. Geological Survey and witnesses. People throughout southern California also reported strong shaking, and the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) said it briefly went into an earthquake emergency mode.

According to a graphic from the U.S. Geological Survey, at least 1,000 people in Baja California were exposed to extreme shaking that could result in ‘heavy’ damage to resistant structures and ‘very heavy’ damage to vulnerable structures. More than 129,000 others were exposed to severe shaking, which could result in moderate to heavy damage in resistant structures. The chart showed the Mexican town of Alberto Oviedo Mota to be the worst hit.

“Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake resistant construction,” the U.S. Geological Survey said. A 6.7-magnitude earthquake on January 17, 1994 killed some 60 people about 385 kilometers northwest, in Northridge, California.

Reports of damage began to flow in slowly after the earthquake, and the exact extend of the damage remained unclear hours later. Beto Peralta, a Twitter user from Mexico, ‘tweeted’ a photo that appeared to show a heavily damaged house in Mexicali that had partly collapsed.

Baja California Governor José Guadalupe Osuna Millán said at least two people had been killed in Mexicali, while the Mexican Red Cross said at least 50 people had been injured.

The Mexican Interior Ministry confirmed at least one person had been killed when a house collapsed in Mexicali, which is the capital of Baja California. At least three other people in Mexicali were hospitalized after a panic attack. “The information from the State Civil Protection Unit and other sources at the site is that electricity services, water, conventional telephony and cellular telephony has been suspended,” the Ministry said in a statement. It added that a state government building under construction had been damaged.

In the United States, although widely felt, there were no immediate reports of notable damage or casualties.

“LAFD has all resources on radio watch and checking their district to ensure safety for all citizens,” said Erik Scott, a spokesman for the LAFD. “Firefighters from your 106 neighborhood fire stations are providing a complete survey of 470 sq miles in the greater Los Angeles area and are examining transportation infrastructures, large places of assemblage (Dodger Stadium, Universities) apartment buildings, powerlines, etc, from the ground and the air to ensure safety.”

The spokesman later said there were no reports of damage or casualties, and said its earthquake mode had been completed. “The earthquake emergency mode is complete and all resources are being rehoused,” Scott said. “All fire stations completed their district drive through assessment with no significant damage or injuries reported. LAFD had slight increase in 911 call load mostly associated with automatic alarms and stuck elevators.”

In San Diego, earthquake tremors were also felt, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

No tsunami warnings were issued following the earthquake. “Based on the earthquake magnitude and historic tsunami records, a damaging tsunami is not expected along the California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska coasts,” a statement from the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center said. “Some of these areas may experience non-damaging sea level changes. At coastal locations which have experienced strong ground shaking, local tsunamis are possible due to underwater landslides.”

About 7 minutes after the earthquake, a series of mostly small aftershocks began which is expected to continue for weeks or months. The first aftershock at 3.47 p.m. local time was centered about 16 miles east-northeast of Pine Valley, California and had a magnitude of 3.4.

A 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck at 4.09 p.m. PDT and was centered about 18 miles southwest of Guadalupe Victoria, Baja California, Mexico. Two stronger aftershocks, with magnitudes of 5.2 and 5.4, struck at 4.15 and 4.25 p.m. PDT. Both were located about 20 miles south of Guadalupe Victoria.

Another aftershock, with a 4.7-magnitude, was centered about 16 miles south-southwest of Mexicali, Mexico at 4.37 p.m. A 5.1-magnitude aftershock, which was centered about 34 miles southeast of Guadalupe Victoria, happened at 5.07 p.m. PDT.

Dozens of other aftershocks were also reported, but had magnitudes lower than 4.8.