{M-H-O} Mexico and California rocked by earthquake

Mexico and California rocked by earthquake

Two dead in border town of Mexicali as buidings shake and roads suffer major structural damage in 7.2 magnitude quake

Monday 5 April 2010 10.15 BST

A crack in the middle of a road in Mexicali, Mexico, after the earthquake. Photograph: La Cronica De Mexicali/EPA

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake yesterday struck cities in northern Mexico and southern California, tearing up roads, making buildings sway from Los Angeles to Tijuana, and leaving at least two people dead in Mexico.

Mexican officials said at least one person died in a collapsed house and about 100 more were injured in yesterday's quake, one of the strongest in the area for decades.

Another person, who panicked as the ground shook, ran into the street and was struck by a car on a darkened street in Mexicali, a border city near the epicentre of the quake, that was almost entirely without power.

The earthquake struck at 3.40pm (10.40pm GMT) about 38 miles (60km) south-east of Mexicali, according to the US Geological Survey, with a shallow depth of six miles. Three aftershocks of magnitudes 5.1, 4.5 and 4.3 followed within the hour, and dozens of smaller tremors struck later.

"It sounds like it's felt by at least 20 million people at this point," USGS seismologist Lucy Jones said. "Most of southern California felt this earthquake."

Mexicali, a bustling commercial centre and home to more than 1 million people, was hardest hit. At least 100 people were injured, most of them struck by falling objects. At least 20 aftershocks were felt in the city. Power was out in virtually the entire city and the blackout was expected to last at least 14 hours.

All 300 patients had to be evacuated from the Mexicali general hospital to private clinics because the building had no electricity or water. But the emergency generators powering the clinics might not last long and authorities might have to move patients to hospitals outside the city. At least 20 people were trapped in two shops when the electrical doors would not open but firefighters quickly freed them.

A major highway connecting Mexicali with Tijuana on the Pacific coast was badly damaged by a crack at least 3ft (1 metre) deep, according to a witness. Holidaymakers returning from their Easter break found themselves in huge traffic jams with many drivers reporting difficulty finding fuel.

"Thank God nothing happened to us. Now we just have to wait until the police let us fuel up," said Maria Lopez, who said she had been waiting four hours for petrol to allow her to return to Tijuana.

As darkness fell, there were growing reports of damage on the US side of the border in Calexico, a city of about 27,000, but no injuries. The Calexico city council declared a state of emergency. Police cars guarded downtown streets in Calexico, where windows were shattered and bricks and plaster had fallen from some buildings.

Some neighbourhoods of San Diego in southern California, 100 miles west of the epicentre reported minor structural damage and burst water pipes and callers to local radio said the rolling tremor made it hard to keep vehicles on the road.

People in Los Angeles, some 200 miles north-west of the epicentre, felt buildings sway. Southern California with its many active geological faults is prone to frequent quakes, and many residents fearfully anticipate the next big one. The last to cause major damage was the 6.7-magnitude Northridge quake in 1994, that left 57 dead, injured 9,000 and caused about $40bn (£26bn) in property damage.

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