The earthquake hit the southern Mexican Pacific coast on Friday, adjacent to the border with Guatemala.
By Catholics for Catholics
A 7.4 earthquake hit the southern Mexican Pacific coast Friday, adjacent to the border with Guatemala, and was experienced from Mexico City to El Salvador.
So far, authorities have not reported any major damage or casualties in any country.
According to Newsmax, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.4 with the epicenter 30 miles southwest of Aquiles Serdan, close to the coast of Chiapas and at a depth of nine miles. It was preceded by a smaller quake with an epicenter a bit farther out in the ocean.
There were at least five aftershocks between magnitude 5.1 and 6, according to USGS.
The tremor started gently in Tapachula, the main city on Mexico’s southern border, but it progressively increased.
BREAKING: A powerful magnitude-7.4 earthquake has struck off the coast of Chiapas, southern Mexico. 🇲🇽🚨 The shallow quake shook buildings as far as Guatemala and El Salvador, triggering a tsunami warning for nearby coastlines.
— cindy🛶 (@cindy332319712) July 17, 2026
#Mexico #Earthquake #Chiapas #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/OkkszIhJ8D
“We were upstairs on the second floor when it started shaking; we thought it would pass, but then it got stronger, so we all went downstairs and evacuated in an orderly manner to the front courtyard,” Alejandra Mendoza, an administrative employee at a public hospital in the city, explained to The Associated Press.
The earthquake scared residents in Guatemala City because it was long-lasting. Many people rushed to the streets in the middle of rush hour as the workday was beginning.
In Mexico City, a metropolis that in years past has been battered by deadly earthquakes, where buildings in certain areas creaked and shook, the tremor alert did not sound because, the government said, “the energy radiated by the earthquake during the first few seconds did not exceed the activation thresholds.”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said preliminary reports showed no damage. The navy recommended staying away from beaches for six hours because of tsunami risk.
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