There was no immediate word of damage or casualties.
The US Geological Survey said yesterday that the quake hit at 4:30 pm local time in the state of Puebla near Tulcingo del Valle, a town in a sparsely populated area about 163 kilometres southeast of Mexico City. It had a depth of (52 kilometres).
The Puebla state press office said there were no immediate reports of injuries or damages, but inspection patrols were being sent out.
Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said many evacuations were reported in the capital but officials had received no reports of damage or injuries.
They jiggle like jelly when quake waves hit.
A magnitude-8.1 quake that killed at least 6,000 people and destroyed many buildings in Mexico City was centred 400 kilometres away on the Pacific Coast.