Early Sunday morning, a powerful earthquake rattled the border region between Mexico and Guatemala, sending panicked residents into the streets. The quake struck just before 6 a.m. near the Mexican town of Suchiate, situated along the river of the same name that serves as the dividing line between the two countries. The epicenter was located off the Pacific coast, approximately 10 miles (16 kilometers) west-southwest of Brisas Barra de Suchiate, where the river meets the sea.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake registered a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 and occurred at a depth of 47 miles. While initial reports from Mexico indicated no immediate damage, the rugged and remote areas along the border are susceptible to landslides. Meanwhile, Guatemala’s national disaster prevention agency shared images of minor landslides on highways in the Quetzaltenango region and noted significant cracks in walls at a hospital in San Marcos on social media. Thankfully, there were no reported fatalities.
In Tapachula, civil defense teams were dispatched to assess any potential damage, though Didier Solares of Suchiate’s Civil Defense agency reported no findings of significant harm thus far. Despite the absence of major damage, the earthquake left residents shaken. In San Cristobal, a picturesque colonial city nestled in the mountains, the tremors were notably intense. Joaquin Morales, a local resident, described being awoken by the seismic alert service just moments before the quake struck. María Guzmán, a teacher in Tuxtla Chico near Tapachula, shared her experience, describing the event as “horrible” and causing a “real scare.”
