BEIJING, April 5 (Xinhua) -- A strong 7.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Mexico's Baja California state and caused panic among local people on Sunday, having killed at least one person in the state capital of Mexicali.
The quake was also felt in the southwestern corner of the United States, including Los Angeles and Palma Springs in California, and Las Vegas in Nevada.
A series of strong and massive earthquakes hit countries across the globe in the past months. The following is a list of some strong and major ones since the beginning of this year:
Jan. 12-- A devastating 7.3-magnitude earthquake leveled much of the Haitian capital city of Port-au-Prince and its vicinity, the worst in the recent 200 years of the Caribbean country's history.
The catastrophe killed some 270,000 people and directly affected 1.5 million others. Over 500,000 people fled the capital for shelter elsewhere in the island nation. Damage and loss were estimated at about 7 billion U.S. dollars or more than 120 percent of Haiti's 2009 gross domestic product.
Feb. 27-- A destructive 8.8-magnitude megaquake and ensuing tsunamis tore up roads and towns in central and southern regions of Chile, the biggest since 1950 in the country's history. The disaster killed about 500 people and caused an estimated 30 billion U.S. dollars worth of damage to infrastructure, houses and industry.
Feb. 28-- A 6.2-magnitude aftershock hit central Chile, just a day after the massive quake that threw the country into panic.
