USGS Community Internet Intesnity Map - Oaxac
USGS Community Internet Intesnity Map - OaxacIsrael news photo: USGS

Miracles have been reported in a powerful earthquake that struck near Acapulco and rocked Mexico's capital city Tuesday -- among them, the fact that U.S. President Barack Obama's 13-year-old daughter Malia escaped injury even though her school trip to Oaxaca was close to the epicenter of a powerful earthquake that struck Mexico Tuesday at noon local time.

The first daughter is safe, a spokesperson for First Lady Michelle Obama told reporters at a briefing.

Buildings swayed in Mexico City, sending frightened residents racing into the street. One person was hurt when a pedestrian bridge collapsed on a car, according to the El Universal newspaper.

A total of 60 buildings are known to have collapsed across the country with several others sustaining structural damage. Five people were injured, one seriously.

Mexico City is home to a large Jewish population and is a busy center of economic activity for Israeli business people as well. Miraculously, no one in either population was injured, according to Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor. "All Jews and Israelis are accounted for," Palmor told Arutz Sheva in an interview Wednesday morning.

Along the Pacific Ocean coastline in southern Gurerrero state, several houses collapsed and 500 others were damaged.

No deaths and very few injuries were reported, in fact. State governor Angel Aguirre noted in an interview with Milenio TV that no damage had been reported in the resort city of Acapulco.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the epicenter was in Oaxaca, 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) deep and 162 kilometers (100 miles) southwest of Oaxaca, 322 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Mexico City.

The quake, which registered 7.4 on the Richter scale, was the strongest to hit the country since a massive temblor struck Mexico City in 2003.

It was quickly followed by a 5.1-magnitude aftershock about 30 minutes later, and another 5.0-magnitude aftershock in Guerrero state at 8:54 p.m. local time, the USGS reported.