6.4 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Mexico-Guatemala Border | Global News

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 struck the border of Mexico and Guatemala early Sunday, causing frightened residents to flee into the streets. The temblor hit just before 6 a.m. near the Mexican border town of Suchiate, where a river of the same name divides the two countries. The epicenter was off the Pacific coast, 10 miles west-southwest of Brisas Barra de Suchiate.

In Mexico, there were no immediate reports of damage, but the more remote mountainous areas near the border are susceptible to landslides. Across the border in Guatemala, small landslides were reported on highways in the Quetzaltenango region, and cracks appeared in walls at a hospital in San Marcos. Fortunately, there were no reports of deaths.

Civil defense brigades in Tapachula were assessing the situation for any signs of damage. Didier Solares, an official with Suchiate’s Civil Defense agency, stated that so far, no damage had been found, and they were communicating with rural areas via radio to ensure safety.

Despite the lack of significant damage, the earthquake still caused panic among residents. In San Cristobal, the shaking was intense, prompting residents to rely on the seismic alert service to warn them before the quake hit. In Tuxtla Chico, a teacher described the experience as “horrible” and “a real scare.”

Later in the day, a swarm of small earthquakes rattled Mexico’s northern state of Baja California near the U.S. border, with the largest quake measuring 4.6 magnitude. These quakes were not believed to be related to the earlier earthquake near Suchiate. No immediate damage was reported in the sparsely populated region.