A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Mexico’s southern state of Chiapas on Friday morning, triggering panic and a temporary tsunami warning. Initially reported as a 7.4-magnitude quake, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) later revised the magnitude to 7.3.
The quake, which struck near the Mexican city of Puerto Madero, was at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, or 6 miles, according to the USGS. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System initially cautioned that waves could reach up to 3 feet above tide levels for some coasts in Mexico and Guatemala, but sea level monitoring stations recorded only minor, non-destructive fluctuations.
The tsunami warning has since been officially lifted, confirming the threat has passed. Witnesses reported that the earthquake shook buildings in neighboring Guatemala, causing panicked residents to pour into the streets during rush hour. The tremor was also felt in El Salvador, according to the Associated Press.
The governor of the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, Salomón Jara, urged citizens to ‘remain calm,’ adding that the earthquake was felt with ‘moderate intensity’ but that ‘no significant damage’ had been reported so far. Mexico’s Secretary of the Navy, Raymundo Morales, stated that water levels were not expected to rise more than 1.5 feet. ‘There is no problem, no serious maritime impact,’ Morales said during a government press conference. ‘We only expect some beaches to see a rise in water level of up to half a meter due to the tsunami effect from the earthquake.’ In the town of Suchiate, located along the river that separates Mexico from Guatemala, coastal areas were being monitored for risk of a tsunami, according to Mayor Elmer Vázquez Gallardo. In Tapachula, the main city on Mexico’s southern border, the tremor began mildly but gradually intensified. ‘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.
Authorities in Mexico and Central America said there were no immediate reports of casualties or major structural damage following the morning’s powerful tremor.
