(ABC News) A 7.5 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Mexico today, killing at least 10 people and damaging hundreds of buildings in Oaxaca state.  The U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colo., said the quake, which hit at about 11:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m. ET), had a preliminary magnitude of 7.5. Mexican television quoted local seismologists as saying the magnitude was 7.4.

The temblor was centered 275 miles southeast of Mexico City, the USGS said. The epicenter was in Punta Maldonado, on the border of Guerrero and Oaxaca states.

Moderate damage was reported Oaxaca City, the state capital, where church steeples and many homes collapsed. There were no reports of damage in the nearby coast resort of Huatulco, said state news agency Notimex.