8.1 Magnitude Earthquake off the Pacific Coast of Mexico is Trending in USA

“A powerful earthquake struck off the Pacific Coast of Mexico late Thursday, shaking buildings as far away as Mexico City and sending worried residents fleeing into the streets. At least five deaths were reported in the immediate aftermath of the quake,” the New York Times reported.

According to CNN, the quake which hit Mexico's west coast as the country faces heavy rains from Hurricane Katia to the east. The epicenter was in the Pacific Ocean, some 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) southeast of the Mexican capital and 74 miles (120 kilometers) from its Pacific Coast. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said the quake was the strongest earthquake Mexico has experienced in 100 years. It hit 12:49 a.m. ET Friday, when many people would have been sleeping.

Independent reported that the US Tsunami Warning System said waves "reaching more than three meters" were possible along some of Mexico's coast. The earthquake was a potential tsunami threat to several Central American countries, including the Pacific coastlines of Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador and Costa Rica, it said.

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