Tsunami Warnings Issued After Huge Mexico Quake

Tsunami warnings were issued for Mexico and several Central American nations after a massive earthquake off Mexico's southern coast just before midnight Thursday. The US Geological Survey says the 8.1 magnitude quake had an epicenter 102 miles west of Tapachula in southern Chiapas state, the AP reports. A tsunami warning was issued for Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, and Honduras, but not for the US West Coast, reports the BBC. The US Tsunami Warning System said tsunami waves were possible within three hours.

In Mexico's Chiapas state, the governor said the quake killed at least three people and destroyed buildings, including schools and hospitals. The quake was felt hundreds of miles away in Mexico City, where buildings swayed and people ran out into the streets. Authorities say it's the strongest quake to hit the city since a devastating quake killed thousands in 1985, though there were no immediate reports of major damage, reports Reuters. In Guatemala, which is much closer to the epicenter than the Mexican capital, authorities say the quake caused damage and at least one death. Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales spoke on television to call for calm. (More earthquake stories.)