Strong Quakes Rock Mexico City and Papua, Indonesia

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake shook Mexico’s capital; separately, a magnitude 6.2 tremor hit Indonesia’s Papua province.

No reports of casualties or damage are available, but Mexican authorities said the water system and other “strategic services” were not affected by the quake.

The epicenter of the quake was 11 miles underground, according to the US Geological Survey. Mexico’s National Seismological Survey says the quake’s epicenter was southwest of Ometepec, a municipality in the state of Guerrero.

The epicenter of the Papua quake is 42 miles underground and 95 miles southwest of the provincial capital of Jayapura, according to USGS.

More details to come.

Update (3:52 p.m. EDT):

Mexican President Felipe Calderon says the area’s health system is functional. CNN quotes him as saying:

The health system is operating normally, except for some broken glass and other minor damage.

Update (3:33 p.m. EDT):

The Papua earthquake hit at 12:56 a.m. local time (1756 GMT), and a local official tells Xinhua that no immediate reports of damage of casualties are available.

Update (3:25 p.m. EDT):

MSNBC quotes the US State Department as saying that the US embassy in Mexico City has sustained “some minor damages.”

Update (3:17 p.m. EDT):

The Mexico City airport was closed temporarily, but there was no damage to runways, buildings or operations.

MSNBC talked to area residents, who report minimal damage and service disruptions.