Mexico hit by 7.4 magnitude earthquake.

A strong earthquake has rocked Mexico shaking buildings and forcing people out into the streets, the National Service for Seismic Protection of the Republic of Armenia reports.

The 7.4-magnitude quake which happened at 10.02 p.m. local time shook Mexico City for more than a minute. Emergency services said 800 houses were damaged in Guerrero state, many of them in the city of Ometepec, which is 25 kilometers from the quake's epicenter. The quake unleashed panic as it damaged hundreds of buildings and caused homes in the capital to bounce like "trampolines".

Initial reports suggested that the quake was 7.6 magnitude. Later, however, the USGS downgraded the figures to 7.4.

The epicenter was 17.5 kilometers underground. Several 5-magnitude aftershocks were felt in Mexico City following the earthquake.

The tremor was one of the strongest since the devastating 8.1-magnitude earthquake of 1985, which killed thousands in Mexico City.
No fatalities have been reported by local emergency officials.