7.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Southern California and Mexico

A 7.2 earthquake struck northwest Mexico’s Baja California, Southern CA and  Mexico at about 3:40 p.m. Sunday. The effects  rattled all of Southern California, Los Angeles,  and San Diego and could be felt in Arizona as well.

Preliminary USGS information indicated the epicenter was 19 miles southeast of Mexicali, an area that has been rocking with magnitude 3.0 quakes all week.

There could be “significant fatalities and damage” near the epicenter, San Diego State University geologist Pat Abbott told 10News.

While no major damage has been reported on the U.S. side of the border, this could go down as the strongest earthquake to strike so close to San Diego County, topping a 7.1 that struck in Imperial County in 1940. A 6.5 shaker hit near Borrego Springs in 1968.

According to CNN,  so far there are at least two dead and 100 injured in Mexico.

At least one person was killed in a building collapse in Mexicali, Mexico, according to the assistant director of civil protection in Tijuana. The other victim died when he ran from his residence into the street and was hit by a car, said Alfredo Escobedo, Mexico’s director of civil protection.

All 100 injuries are concentrated in Mexicali, Escobedo said.

In California and Arizona, there were no immediate reports of injuries and only limited reports of damages.

LA Weekly has pictures of the damage brought on from the 7.2 quake.

The LA Times is reporting, 20 million people felt Mexicali earthquake; big aftershocks are ‘likely.