A moderate 5.7 magnitude earthquake shook central Mexico yesterday, shaking buildings in the colonial city of Puebla and the capital Mexico City, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage. The US Geological Survey said the quake, the second medium-sized tremor to hit the country in the last few weeks, hit 60 kilometres south of Puebla at a depth of 97 kilometres.

Emergency services officials said there were no initial reports of casualties or serious damage, although power cuts were reported in the capital, 140 kilometres from the epicentre, and residents said picture frames fell off shelves.

"It felt long and intense," said a spokesman at the Volkswagen plant in Puebla, where 3,000 workers were evacuated from the assembly line.

Children were also evacuated from schools in Puebla and in Mexico City, office workers and residents filed outside.

The USGS initially estimated the quake at magnitude 5.6.