The Mexican city Mexicali will be declared disaster zone after the earthquake that shock the zone on Sunday afternoon, killing two people and leaving considerable damages, Baja California's governor, Jose Guadalupe Osuna said on Monday.

Osuna told a local TV channel that they are evaluating the damages and considering to declare the zone in emergency state to have access to the aid funds given by the federal government.

On Sunday afternoon, an earthquake measuring 7.2 degrees on Richter scale shock Mexicali, Baja California's capital, and other municipalities like Tijuana, Tecate, Rosarito Beach, and Ensenada.

According to preliminary reports, besides two deaths, the earthquake injured more than 230 people, and caused structural damages to buildings, streets and highways, mainly in Mexicali Valley.

Osuna did not mention the cost of the damages, but he said that the water cuts will affect at least 60,000 hectares of farming land.

Osuna said that the failure of power at gas stations is causing fuel shortage, and the restoration of the electricity service is the key for the quick recovery of the activities in the city.

Spokesman of the Federal Commission of Electricity in Mexicali, Estefano Conde said that one of the two transmission lines of Mexicali has been repaired, resuming power supply at 11 of the 27 substations.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Geology Service has registered more than 30 aftershocks measuring from 2.6 degrees to 5.1 degrees in the last hours in Baja California state, bordering with the United States.

(Xinhua News Agency April 6, 2010)