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Tsunami alert sounded after massive 7.5-magnitude earthquake shakes southern Mexico, pics show tides moving back

Two aftershocks have also been confirmed by Mexican authorities, each measuring 5.2 and 4.3 on the Richter scale in Oaxaca

A powerful earthquake struck Mexico on Tuesday, June 23, in the southern state of Oaxaca nearly three years after a similar quake in the country killed over 300 people. Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, in a statement, said that the strength of the recent quake was 7.5. However, according to the US Geological Survey, the magnitude stood at 7.7. So far, there are reports of one fatality confirmed in the incident. More updates on the toll are awaited.

Just minutes after the quake, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a tsunami alert for Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. According to the US Pacific Tsunami warning center, the waves could be as high as 10 feet and strike anywhere within 600 miles of the earthquake's epicenter.  Two aftershocks have also been confirmed by Mexican authorities, each measuring 5.2 and 4.3 on the Richter scale in Oaxaca.

You can watch a video of the quake here:

While appearing on a local television station, the Mexican president asked a government official for an update on the nearby states, and stated that there were no major damages reported there. The governor of Oaxaca, Alejandro Murat, also issued a statement saying that there were "no damages." He added: "We are united. We are well." The governor also asked residents to check their homes and call 911 if they found any structural damage to the buildings. 

The strong quake reportedly struck the country at 10.29 am local time, and shook buildings hundreds of miles away in the center of the capital Mexico City. The quake also resulted in thousands fleeing from their homes into the streets looking for safety.

A Twitter user shared some pictures of beach shores in Mexico, stating that the tides had moved back, suggesting a big tidal wave is imminent.

In fact, weather surveyors have already begun reporting some larger-than-usual wave activity along Oaxaca's coast near Salina Cruz, suggesting the oncoming tsunami.

Shortly after the quake, a local television network shows a slab of concrete separating from an apartment building in the Mexico City neighborhood of Cuauhtémoc. Flights from and toward Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City were also temporarily halted in the wake of the quake. 

The earthquake measured more than the deadly one three years ago that struck Puebla on September 19, 2017, and killed 370 people and injuring 6,011. The quake then had measured 7.1 on the richer scale.

Latest reports state that a landslide in Oaxaca has killed one person and one other has been injured following the earthquake.

Here are some photos:

Shortly after the massive earthquake, a fire broke out at an Oaxaca refinery, at least one person has been inured in the incident. The company has released a statement saying  the fire was put out at its Salina Cruz facility that was reportedly triggered by the earthquake in the region. At least one man is injured and under medical evaluation, according to the company.

Watch a video of the fire here: