4月4日，墨西哥西北部與美國交界的下加利福尼亞州4日遭遇7.2級強(qiáng)震。地震發(fā)生后，墨西加利的公用系統(tǒng)被損毀，通訊癱瘓，全市80萬市民陷入停電、停水、電話不通困境。之后24小時內(nèi)已發(fā)生上百次余震。這引起南加州民眾人心惶惶，擔(dān)心這是另一輪大地震的前兆。對此，地震專家5日指出，雖然大地震后發(fā)生了100多次余震，但一切均屬于正常范圍內(nèi)，因此專家普遍樂觀，不認(rèn)為此次地震會增加南加州遭遇大地震襲擊的可能性。

The governor of the Mexican state of Baja California said Monday he is asking the federal government for a natural disaster declaration after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake shook the region.

The quake struck at 3:40 p.m. Sunday (6:40 p.m. ET) about 110 miles east-southeast of Tijuana, Mexico, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The border city of Mexicali, the capital of Baja California, was the hardest hit by Sunday's quake, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

Two people died, and 233 injuries were reported, Gov. Jose Guadalupe Osuna said, according to the state-run Notimex news agency. Doctors in Mexicali told that between five and 10 people were in critical condition.

On Monday, authorities examined the damage in Mexicali. Electricity was restored in some parts of the city, and most structures were standing, though the cleanup appeared to be daunting. Glass and other debris were strewn around the city.

Unlike the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, there were no reports of people trapped underneath rubble.

The city's hospital was also damaged, so doctors were seeing patients in the parking lot.