The World: Mexico's Longest Quake

It was nearly 4 a.m. on a cold, moonless night, when people across much of Mexico were jolted from sleep by the first tremors of an earthquake. In Mexico City, where a quake in 1957 had killed more than 50 people, hundreds poured into the streets in abject terror. When the earth stopped moving, 120 agonizing seconds after the initial jolt, Mexico had experienced the longest earthquake in its recorded history.

For all the panic, no one was hurt in Mexico City, and only minor damage was reported. The epicenter of the quake, however, was located 150 miles southeast of the capital....

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