Texas mom says she was with young son when quake rattled Mexico: 'It was terrifying'

ACAPULCO, Mexico (KTRK) -- A powerful magnitude 7 earthquake that hit near the Mexican resort city of Acapulco on Tuesday night could be felt as far away as Mexico City and rattled people across the country.

Residents of Acapulco began cleaning up broken glass and chunks of plaster Wednesday as they took in the full impact of the earthquake centered nearby that shook most of southern Mexico.

Many people slept outside overnight as more than 150 aftershocks rattled the hills around the beachside destination.

"It was terrifying," said Mayra Velazquez, who was with her son, watching a movie, when the earthquake hit. "It was really scary. I grabbed my son and just ran for the door. Everybody was outside."

The quake struck shortly before 9 p.m. It swayed buildings nearly 200 miles from the epicenter. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered about 10 miles northeast of Acapulco.

Guerrero state Gov. Hector Astudillo reported one person was killed by a falling post in Coyuca de Benítez.

Acapulco's mayor, Adela Roman, told local news outlets there have been reports of gas leaks, landslides, and fallen walls across the area.

After the earthquake hit, Velazquez went to her aunt's home. Her aunt said she has experienced earthquakes in the past, but nothing that has lasted this long.

Velazquez recently moved to the country from Texas, where she said she isn't used to the massive quake. She said it's something she'll never forget.

Other towns along the coast reported structural damage to buildings, but no loss of life.

Meanwhile, in the central Mexican state of Hidalgo, teams continued evaluating the damage from flooding that swamped downtown Tula, when the Tula River jumped its banks.

At least 16 people died at the local Social Security Institute hospital.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.