The strongest earthquake in a century hit southern Mexico and Guatemala on Thursday night, killing at least 15 people.

One-metre-high tsunamis were reported after the quake, which was centred on the Pacific seabed off the coast of Chiapas state on the Guatemalan border, struck at 11.49pm local time.

Hundreds of buildings collapsed or were damaged, power was cut at least briefly to more than 1.8 million people and the authorities closed schools yesterday in at least 11 states to check them for safety.