World

A 6.9-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Near Baja California, Mexico

by Yuliya Talmazan | August 3, 2009 at 10:57 am

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A 6.9-magnitude earthquake has hit off the Mexican coast near Santa Isabel, Baja California at 1:59 PM EDT. The earthquake was felt as far away as San Diego. No immediate information about the number of casualties or the level of destruction is available yet. It is also not clear what the duration of the earthquake was. No tsunami warning was issued. More updates to follow at NowPublic.

The quake was 49 miles from Santa Isabel on the Baja California peninsula and was 9.3 miles deep, the US Geological Survey said.

There are no immediate reports of damage or injury.

The U.S. National Earthquake Center says a strong earthquake has shaken Mexico's Gulf of California.

It says the magnitude-6.9 quake struck at 12:59 p.m. (1:59 EDT, 17:59 GMT) and was centered 76 miles (122 kilometers) north-northeast of Santa Isabel in Baja California and 331 miles (533 kilometers)southeast of the border city of Tijuana.

The tremors could be felt in buildings around the Valley, including the various floors of The Arizona Republic building at Van Buren and Second streets. Others reported on Twitter traffic of elevators creaking, blinds swaying and doors moving; many reported feeling dizzy or discombobulated.

According to reports on nbcsandiego.com, witnesses reported seeing crowds of people streaming out of City Hall in downtown San Diego. There have so far been no reports of damage.