Magnitude 7.3 quake hits Mexican coast near Guatemala, triggering tsunami alert

A powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck near the coast of Mexico's southernmost state of Chiapas on Friday, triggering a tsunami warning and shaking buildings in neighbouring Guatemala and El Salvador.

Authorities reported no immediate damage.
The quake struck at a depth of 15.2km (9.44 miles), the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, after revising its earlier assessment of a 7.4 magnitude quake at a shallow, 10km depth.

Following the tremor, the US Tsunami Warning System said that hazardous tsunami waves were possible along coasts located within 300km (186 miles) of the epicenter. The waves could reach levels between 0.3 metre and 1 metre above tide level for some coasts in Mexico and Guatemala, it said.

Mexico's Secretary of the Navy Raymundo Morales said water levels were not expected to rise more than half a metre, but nevertheless advised people to stay away from beaches for now.

"There is no problem, no serious maritime impact," Morales said during a regular government press conference. "We only expect some beaches to see a rise in water level of up to half a metre due to the tsunami effect from the earthquake."

A series of aftershocks, including some with magnitudes between 5 and 6, were also felt in Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Residents flee homes in Guatemala

In Guatemala City, the earthquake shook buildings and prompted some residents to dash from their homes onto the street, according to a Reuters witness. Local media in Guatemala showed footage of staff evacuating a government building as security protocols were activated.

"I got really scared and it reminded me of the recent earthquake in Venezuela. So I ran out and went down the stairs because I live on the eighth floor. The shaking wouldn't stop," Alexander Valdez, a 29-year-old accountant, told Reuters in Guatemala City.

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Adolfo Zacarias, a 43-year-old customer service worker who lives on the third floor of his building, said he sought shelter under a structural column as the shaking began.

"I think the memories of what recently happened in Venezuela came back to us and that scared us a lot," Zacarias said.

Venezuela is still reeling from twin earthquakes that struck the country on June 24, when magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 tremors hit within less than a minute of each other in the north-central region, toppling buildings in Caracas and nearby coastal areas and triggering a prolonged rescue and relief effort.

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)