A third earthquake with a 6.2 magnitude just hit Mexico, sending thousands into the streets

Thomson Reuters

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - An magnitude 6.2 earthquake shook southern Mexico on Saturday and was felt in the capital, where seismic alarms sounded, residents ran into the streets and rescuers briefly stopped combing the rubble left by a bigger tremor earlier this week.

The United States Geological Survey said the new quake was relatively shallow and hit near Juchitan, which is a tropical region of Oaxaca state hard hit by another major earthquake on Sept 7.

Already shaken by the two recent earthquakes that have killed at least 380 people in Mexico this month, thousands of people ran out onto the streets again in Oaxaca and Mexico City, some in pajamas when the new tremor shortly before 8 a.m. (1300 GMT).

"I heard the alarm and ran downstairs with my family," said Sergio Cedillo, 49, who was watching rescuers efforts to find survivors from Tuesday's quake when the alarm sounded.

No new damage was immediately reported, but rescue efforts were suspended in areas affected by Tuesday's quake to allow authorities to see if the new tremors would put workers at risk, Luis Felipe Puente, the head of Mexico's civil protection agency said. 

(Reporting by Julia Love and Alexandra Alper; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Franklin Paul)

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