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5.5-magnitude earthquake rattles southern Mexico near Acapulco

An image by the U.S. Geological Survey shows the seismic impact of the earthquake that struck near Oaxaca on Wednesday. The line running along the bottom represents a seismic fault line that runs along the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Image courtesy U.S. Geological Survey
An image by the U.S. Geological Survey shows the seismic impact of the earthquake that struck near Oaxaca on Wednesday. The line running along the bottom represents a seismic fault line that runs along the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Image courtesy U.S. Geological Survey

May 26 (UPI) -- A strong earthquake shook southern Mexico on Wednesday in an area that's rife with seismic activity, scientists said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said that the quake registered with a magnitude of 5.5, which is considered to be a strong intermediate temblor. It struck near Oaxaca, which is located about 200 miles east of Acapulco on the southern end of the Yucatan Peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

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The USGS put the epicenter of the quake about 80 miles from Salina Cruz at a depth of 22 miles.

The quake could be felt as far away as Mexico City, where officials asked residents to be aware of possible aftershocks. Officials said the tremor did not reach a level that warranted sounding a seismic alert.

Omar Garcia Harfuch, Mexico City's secretariat for citizen security, said government helicopters deployed to Oaxaca in case of potential damage from the quake.

Officials said there was no serious damage or injuries reported.

The Yucatan Peninsula is home to regular seismic activity. In 2020, a 7.5-magnitude quake struck near Oaxaca and collapsed several buildings. Several people died as a result of the quake, which was felt as far away as Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

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Medical care for the injured was somewhat limited at the time because many of the hospitals were filled with COVID-19 patients.

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