Earthquake of magnitude 6.8 shakes Guatemala and raises alarm, but no fatalities

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A strong earthquake measuring 6.8 on the open Richter scale shook Guatemala early Wednesday morning, terrifying the population. Still, only some property damage has been reported so far, but no casualties.

According to the National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology, and Hydrology (Insivumeh), the quake occurred at 01:12 local time (07:12 GMT) and was felt throughout Guatemalan territory.

The epicenter was registered on the coasts of the Pacific Ocean and alerted the population. Relief forces, including the Guatemalan Red Cross (CRG) and volunteer and municipal firefighters, monitor the damage.

According to the scientific institution, this strong earthquake was followed by two more aftershocks, measuring 5 and 4.8 on the Richter scale, respectively, whose epicenter was located in the same place.

Insivumeh stated that the epicenter was 54 kilometers from the city of Mazatenango, 57 kilometers from Retalhuleu, and 84 kilometers from Escuintla, all three located on the Pacific coast.

Although there are reports on social networks of landslides on roads, structural damage in some municipalities, and lack of electricity, authorities are limited to saying that they are collecting information nationwide about what happened.

The spokesman for the National Coordinator of Disaster Response (Conred), Rodolfo Flores, told local radio station Emisoras Unidas that the earthquake was felt throughout Guatemala and that an official bulletin will be issued in the coming hours.

Flores appealed to the population to remain calm not to cause alarm from the earthquakes.

“The earthquake was felt throughout the national territory, and we are working to collect data on the damage it may have caused,” the official said.

The firm earth movement was also felt in Salvadoran and Mexican territory.

Guatemala is a highly seismic country, and the population still remembers the great earthquake that devastated Guatemala on Feb. 4, 1976.

This earthquake, measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale, also occurred at dawn and had its epicenter in the Caribbean department of Izabal, destroying three-thirds of the country, killing more than 23,000 people, injuring 76,000, and leaving more than one million homeless.