Washington: An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 shook southern Mexico on Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake was centered about 56km from Las Choapas, a city of about 70,000 people in the state of Veracruz, at a depth of 167km.

A slight tremor from the quake was felt in Mexico City, about 400km away, prompting people to flee into the streets of the nation's capital.

 The temblor was felt strongly in Chiapas, a state bordering Guatemala.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.