Mexico-Guatemala border quake felt across region, no major damage reported

A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off Chiapas near the Guatemala border and shook cities across the region. Despite evacuations and tsunami checks, authorities reported no immediate major damage or casualties.

In Short

• USGS placed the epicentre 48 kilometres southwest of Aquiles Serdan, Chiapas
• The main jolt followed a smaller offshore tremor earlier in the day
• Coastal authorities in Suchiate monitored conditions closely for any tsunami threat

A strong earthquake struck the southern Pacific coast of Mexico on Friday near the border with Guatemala and was felt as far away as Mexico City and El Salvador. Authorities in the affected countries did not immediately report any severe damage or casualties.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake measured 7.3 in magnitude. It said the epicentre was 48 kilometres south-west of Aquiles Serdan, near the coast of Chiapas, at a depth of 15 kilometres. The quake was preceded by a smaller tremor with an epicentre slightly farther out in the ocean.

In Suchiate, the town on the river that separates Mexico and Guatemala, coastal areas were being monitored for any tsunami risk, according to Mayor Elmer Vzquez Gallardo. In Tapachula, the main city on Mexico's southern border, the tremor was first mild and then grew stronger.

"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," Alejandra Mendoza, an administrative employee at a public hospital in the city, told The Associated Press.

In Guatemala City, residents were alarmed by how long the earthquake lasted, and many people ran out into the streets during rush hour as the workday was beginning. In Mexico City, buildings in some areas creaked and shook. The earthquake alert did not sound because, the government said, "the energy radiated by the earthquake during the first few seconds did not exceed the activation thresholds." Overall, the earthquake was widely felt across the region, but there were no immediate reports of major damage or loss of life.

With PTI Inputs

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