A powerful magnitude‑7.3 quake shook the coast of Mexico’s Chiapas state on Friday, issuing a tsunami alert and rattling buildings across neighboring Guatemala and El Salvador.
Authorities reported no immediate damage.
The USGS reported the tremor originated at a depth of 15.2 km (9.4 mi), noting that it had initially estimated a magnitude 7.4 event at a shallower 10‑km depth.
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System warned that dangerous tsunami waves could affect coastlines within about 300 km (186 mi) of the epicenter, with expected wave heights ranging from 0.3 m to 1 m above normal tide levels in parts of Mexico and Guatemala.
Mexico’s Navy Secretary, Raymundo Morales, said water levels were unlikely to exceed half a metre, yet urged the public to avoid beaches for the time being.
“There is no problem, no serious maritime impact,” Morales said at a regular government press briefing. “We only anticipate some beaches experiencing a water‑level rise of up to half a metre due to the tsunami effect.”
Several aftershocks, some registering between magnitudes 5 and 6, were also felt across Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador.
Residents flee homes in Guatemala
In Guatemala City, the quake shook buildings and sent some residents rushing into the streets, a Reuters witness said. Local media aired footage of government employees evacuating a building as security protocols were enacted.
“I got really scared; it reminded me of the recent earthquake in Venezuela. I ran downstairs because I live on the eighth floor, and the shaking wouldn’t stop,” said Alexander Valdez, a 29‑year‑old accountant, speaking to Reuters in Guatemala City.
He added, “The memories of the recent Venezuelan quakes came rushing back, which frightened us greatly,” said Adolfo Zacarias, a 43‑year‑old customer‑service worker who lives on the third floor of his building.
Venezuela continues to recover from twin quakes that struck on June 24, when a magnitude‑7.2 and a magnitude‑7.5 tremor hit the north‑central region less than a minute apart, leveling buildings in Caracas and surrounding coastal areas and prompting an extended rescue and relief operation.
