A powerful earthquake struck western Mexico on Monday, leaving at least one person dead and sparking panic hundreds of kilometers away in Mexico City on the anniversary of two devastating tremors.

The quake — magnitude 7.7 according to the national seismological agency — shook buildings and sent people rushing out into the streets of the capital.

"I thought I would have a heart attack!" said Gabriela Ramirez, a 58-year-old resident of Mexico City, where many remain traumatized by an earthquake five years ago that killed several hundred people.

"This area is very vulnerable because many buildings that were damaged in the 2017 earthquake have not been repaired, so it's even worse with the fear of being crushed," she added.

One person was killed by falling debris in a shopping center in Manzanillo in the western state of Colima, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Twitter.

There was not believed to be any serious damage in Mexico City, he said.

The epicenter was located near the Pacific coast, around 400 kilometers (250 miles) west of the capital and 59 kilometers south of Coalcoman in the state of Michoacan, according to seismologists.

The depth was estimated at 15 kilometers (nine miles).

"It's a terrifying coincidence! Why again today?" Laura Resendiz, 73, said outside the building where she lives Mexico City.

'Felt terrible'

It was the third major earthquake on record to hit the Latin American country on the day of 19 September.

But the timing was no more than a coincidence, the national seismological agency said.

"There is no scientific reason to explain it," it added, leaving some residents searching for other answers.

"It's a very big coincidence! I'm not ruling out that it could be a sign from God," said Federico Garcia, 57.