7.2 quake hits near California-Mexico border, 2 dead

Tijuana: One of the strongest earthquakes to hit Southern California in decades has shaken tens of millions of people in two countries and three states, swaying buildings from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

At least two people in Mexico were killed and others were feared trapped in their homes.

The 7.2-magnitude quake struck at 2240 GMT Sunday, about 20 miles southeast of the border city of Mexicali, Mexico, according to the US Geological Survey.

Three aftershocks of magnitudes 5.1, 4.5 and 4.3 followed.

The earthquake was felt the hardest in Mexicali, a bustling commerce center along the border.

Baja California state Civil Protection Director Alfredo Escobedo said a man was killed when his home collapsed just outside of Mexicali, and that there were reports of more people trapped in homes in the area.