A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake shook the coast of the southern Mexican state of Chiapas on Friday, triggering a tsunami alert and causing tremors in buildings in the neighboring countries of Guatemala and El Salvador.
The earthquake had a depth of 10 km (6 miles), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and occurred near the Mexican city of Puerto Madero, an important port and fishing town on the Pacific coast of the state of Chiapas, located about 13 kilometers from the border with Guatemala.
After the tremor, recorded at 08:48 hours (16:48 hours in mainland Spain), the United States Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami alert for the region due to the possibility of dangerous tsunami waves on the coasts located less than 300 km (186 miles) from the epicenter.
According to the USGS, the waves could exceed the usual high tide level by between 0.3 and 1 meter. The Mexican alert service indicated that the area most affected will be the coast of Chiapas and Oaxaca, states in southern Mexico, and recommends “keeping the population away from the beaches until the alert is canceled; strong currents are expected at the entrances of the ports.”
In Guatemala City, the earthquake shook buildings and caused some residents to run out of their homes into the street, according to a Reuters witness. Local media in Guatemala showed images of personnel evacuating a government building while security protocols were activated.
The country’s president, Bernardo Arévalo, made a “call to the population to remain calm and follow the recommendations” of the authorities although “so far there are no fatalities and we are monitoring the situation minute by minute.”
According to another Reuters witness, the tremor was also felt in El Salvador.
In the Mexican state of Oaxaca, Governor Salomón Jara reported on social media that the earthquake was felt with moderate intensity in the capital.
In an initial assessment, the Mexican Secretary of the Navy, Admiral Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles, estimated that for now there is no evidence of “serious damage” from the tremor, although he has recommended residents to take extreme precautions because a rise in coastal waters of about half a meter is expected but, otherwise, “there is no problem.”
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The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, has reported that an official statement with information about the seismic movement will be issued in the coming hours.
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There is still no evidence of victims or material damage.
