A powerful earthquake shook the Mexico-Guatemala border early Sunday morning, causing panic among residents who took to the streets for safety. The tremor struck shortly before 6:00 a.m. near the Mexican border city of Suchiate, where the river of the same name divides the two countries.
The earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4, originated off the Pacific coast, 47 miles deep and 10 miles west-southwest of Brisas Barra de Suchiate. Several aftershocks were recorded in the area following the initial quake.
In Mexico, there were no immediate reports of damage, but the more remote and mountainous areas near the border are known to be susceptible to landslides. On the Guatemalan side, the national disaster prevention agency shared images of small landslides blocking roads in the Quetzaltenango region and large cracks in the walls of a hospital in San Marcos. Fortunately, there were no reports of fatalities.
In Tapachula, civil defense teams inspected the city for any signs of damage, but no significant impacts were found. Didier Solares, a Civil Defense official in Suchiate, reassured that there were no damages reported so far in the area.
Despite the lack of structural damage, residents in the region were left shaken by the quake. In the colonial city of San Cristóbal, the tremor was strongly felt by the residents, prompting some to rely on the seismic alert service for early warning. In Tuxtla Chico, a nearby town, teacher María Guzmán described the quake as “horrible” and “a real scare.”
The earthquake serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of natural disasters and the importance of being prepared for such events. Stay tuned for more updates on the aftermath of the earthquake on the Mexico-Guatemala border.