Mexico City Rocked by 5.6 Magnitude Earthquake

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake rocked Mexico City on Monday afternoon.

The Mexico City earthquake sent terrified residents into the streets and overloaded telephone lines but as of now no significant damage has been reported.

Given the current swine flu threat that has killed an estimated 149 people, recent drug wars heating up and now an earthquake, the Mexican Peso has weakened which had lost nearly 5% from Friday’s close to MXN13.975 per U.S. dollar.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of the Mexico earthquake was in the Pacific coast state of Guerrero, home to the resort of Acapulco, which lies roughly 360 kilometers from Mexico City. The depth of the quake made serious damage less likely, said Jim Dewey, a research geophysicist with USGS.

“Certainly strong shaking could be perceived, but it wouldn’t likely cause extensive damage,” Dewey said. “It was 25 miles deep, so that puts some distance between it and the surface of the ground.”