The Mexican interior ministry declared late Tuesday that Mexicali and Tecate were disaster zones following Sunday's 7.2 earthquake felt throughout the Southwest. The declaration allows residents to apply for Mexican federal grants that would help them rebuild damaged homes and businesses, according to La Cronica newspaper.

Earlier in the day the Mexicali paper reported that as many as 25,000 had been left temporarily homeless by quake damage. As many as 12 cross-border manufacturing plants known as maquiladoras, including one run by South Korean electronics concern LG, were damaged in the shaker.

The northbound border crossing into the United States, closed following Sunday afternoon's temblor, was reportedly reopened Tuesday.

Damage from the powerful quake was reported as far north as Orange County, with elevator service affected in some Los Angeles high-rises and people as far as Phoenix and Las Vegas saying they felt it.

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