What You Need to Know
• A 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern Mexican Pacific coast near Guatemala on Friday.
• The epicenter was located 48 kilometers southwest of Aquiles Serdan at a depth of 15 kilometers.
• Preliminary reports indicate no severe damage or casualties in Mexico, Guatemala, or El Salvador.
On Friday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that a 7.3 magnitude earthquake occurred off the southern Pacific coast of Mexico, near the Guatemala border. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the epicenter was 48 kilometers southwest of Aquiles Serdan, at a depth of 15 kilometers. The tremor was felt across a wide area, including Mexico City and as far as El Salvador, prompting residents to evacuate buildings. In Tapachula, Alejandra Mendoza, an administrative employee at a public hospital, described the shaking as initially mild but intensifying, leading to an orderly evacuation. Although the earthquake alarm did not activate in Mexico City due to low initial energy levels, the navy advised avoiding beaches for six hours due to potential tsunami risks.
Why It Matters
This earthquake highlights the seismic activity prevalent in the region, which has experienced significant quakes in the past. Earlier this year, a strong earthquake in southern and central Mexico resulted in two fatalities, while a 7.1 magnitude quake in 2017 caused hundreds of deaths in Mexico City. The ongoing monitoring of coastal areas for tsunami risks underscores the potential dangers associated with seismic events in this area.
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