Early Sunday morning, a powerful earthquake rattled the border region of Mexico and Guatemala, sparking fear and causing residents to seek safety in the streets. The epicenter of the temblor was just off the Pacific coast, approximately 10 miles west-southwest of Brisas Barra de Suchiate. The seismic event, which had a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 and a depth of 47 miles, left no immediate reports of damage in Mexico. However, the more remote and mountainous areas of the border are susceptible to landslides.
Neighboring Guatemala also felt the tremors, as small landslides onto highways and substantial cracks in the walls of a hospital in the Quetzaltenango region were reported. Despite the visible impact on infrastructure, there were fortunately no reports of casualties. In Tapachula, near the border, civil defense brigades combed through the city, diligently searching for signs of damage.
Didier Solares, an official with Suchiate’s Civil Defense agency, expressed gratitude that no damage had been found thus far. He emphasized, “Luckily, everything is good,” as he assured that communication with rural areas and businesses had affirmed the absence of any significant destruction. Despite the reassurances, the early morning earthquake left a palpable sense of unease among residents in the affected regions.
In San Cristobal, a quaint and mountainous colonial city, the earthquake’s impact was felt acutely. Joaquin Morales, a local resident, described how the seismic alert service woke him 30 seconds before the quake struck, underscoring the swift and critical nature of timely alerts. Similarly, in Tuxtla Chico, Maria Guzman, a teacher, vividly conveyed the intensity of the experience, stating, “It was horrible, it felt strong. It was a real scare.”
The post “The Impact of the Recent Earthquake on Mexico and Guatemala” first appeared on the London News Express.
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