6.4 Magnitude Earthquake hits southern Mexico today

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.4 shook southwestern Mexico on Tuesday, the latest in a series of temblors in recent days, but there were no reports of casualties or serious damage.

The earthquake hit at 6:50 a.m. local time (7:50 a.m. EST) and was centered about 23 miles northwest of Arriaga, in the state of Chiapas, at a depth of 72 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake briefly cut off power in the Chiapas state capital, Tuxtla Gutierrez, but officials said checks of dozens of small towns across the state found no damage.

"We have no material or human damage," said civil protection official Zaydi Garcia in Tuxtla Gutierrez, 65 miles from the quake's center.

A magnitude 6.4 quake is capable of inflicting severe damage, particularly in areas with poorly built structures.

Civil protection officials in neighboring Oaxaca state, home to many poor indigenous villages, reported no damage beyond cracks in older buildings like the Municipal Palace in the town of Juchitan. Two abandoned houses fell down in the nearby town of Matias Romero.

"It was felt in most of the state of Oaxaca, (but) we have no reports of loss of life, just some minor damage," said state civil protection chief Cesar Narvaez.

Buildings also held up in the state capital Oaxaca, a colonial city with cobblestone streets popular with tourists and roughly 160 miles from the quake's center, said local civil protection official Jose Basan.

The earthquake, which the USGS revised down from a preliminary reading of 6.6, was barely felt in the capital Mexico City, although some buildings were evacuated.

Emergency teams scoured 16 city districts in the capital but found no casualties and no damage to buildings or infrastructure, the capital city's government said in a statement.

Since Saturday, four moderate quakes have rattled the country, three near the northwestern city of Mexicali, and one on Monday near the Chiapas town of Cintalapa, just some 25 miles north of the latest quake.

Mexico is prone to earthquakes, especially along its Pacific coast. Those above magnitude 6.0 are the most dangerous.