Strong Earthquake Strikes Southern Mexico and Guatemala Border

A significant earthquake hit the southern Mexican Pacific coast near the Guatemalan border on Friday. The quake was felt as far away as Mexico City and El Salvador. Authorities have not reported significant damage or casualties.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the earthquake’s magnitude at 7.3, with its epicenter located 48 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of Aquiles Serdan, near Chiapas’ coast. The quake occurred at a depth of 15 kilometers (9 miles) and was preceded by a smaller tremor further out in the ocean.

In Tapachula, the primary city at Mexico’s southern edge, the quake started mildly but grew stronger. Alejandra Mendoza, working in a public hospital, described the experience: “We were upstairs on the second floor when it started shaking; we thought it would pass, but then it got stronger, so we all went downstairs and evacuated in an orderly manner to the front courtyard.”

In Guatemala City, the quake’s lengthy duration startled residents, causing many to evacuate to the streets during rush hour. In Mexico City, although buildings shook, the earthquake alert was not triggered. The government said the initial intensity did not meet the alert’s activation thresholds.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that preliminary assessments showed no damage. Local authorities advised avoiding beaches for six hours due to tsunami risks. In Suchiate, a town on the Mexico-Guatemala border, coastal monitoring was in place to address tsunami concerns, as stated by Mayor Elmer Vázquez Gallardo.

The region frequently experiences earthquakes, sometimes with deadly outcomes. Earlier this year, a powerful quake struck southern and central Mexico, resulting in two deaths. In 2017, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Mexico City led to hundreds of fatalities.