Acapulco rattled by 5.5-magnitude earthquake

Acapulco (Mexico): A 5.5-magnitude earthquake shook Mexico's Pacific resort of Acapulco, prompting tourists to evacuate hotels and causing buildings to sway as far away as Mexico City.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries either in Acapulco or in the country's mega-capital, some 380 kilometers north of the southwestern port.

The earthquake struck at 14:41 pm (local time) yesterday in the state of Guerrero, 34 kilometers northwest of the town of San Luis Acatlan and 257 kilometers south of Mexico City, according to the US Geological Survey.

The onshore earthquake had a depth of 37.9 kilometers.

Buildings in Mexico City were also evacuated, as the capital's residents have an alarm system that warns them when the earth shakes on the coast.

Mexico City is rocked by distant earthquakes because the metropolis of more than 20 million people sits on soft soil from an ancient lake bed, which causes buildings to sway.