No signs of damage were visible from aerial footage of Mexico City on Tuesday afternoon RELATED VIDEO CNN's Harris Whitbeck reports by phone from Mexico City Windows Media 28K 80K  MESSAGE BOARD: Mexico today

June 15, 1999
Web posted at: 6:04 p.m. EDT (2204 GMT)

MEXICO CITY (CNN) -- A strong earthquake shook Mexico City on Tuesday afternoon, swaying tall buildings and sending panic-stricken residents fleeing into the streets.

Witnesses said the quake lasted several minutes, beginning at 3:41 p.m. (2041 GMT).

There was no official word on injuries or damage. But Mexico's TV Azteca said one person was killed, 200 people injured and that 12 were pinned beneath rubble in Puebla, a city of one million people located about 75 miles (120 km) southeast of Mexico City.

News helicopters hovering above the city showed no visible signs of damage to city buildings.

Reporting from the Mexican capital, CNN's Harris Whitbeck said he could see hundreds of people gathered in the streets, waiting to be told it was safe to return to their office buildings.

Officials at the National Earthquake Center in Colorado, which monitors earthquake activity worldwide, said a "relatively strong" earthquake jolted Mexico, but they have not located the epicenter.

Mexico's National Seismological Service said the quake had a magnitude of 6.7.

Telephone service was disrupted in Mexico City and local television reported that power was knocked out to much of Puebla.

Mexico's largest recent earthquake, on September 19, 1985, was recorded at more than magnitude 8 and killed at least 6,000 people.

Mexico City Bureau Chief Harris Whitbeck and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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