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Earthquakes shake Guatemala; President Arévalo evacuated
🇲🇽 Mexico /Disasters & Emergencies

Earthquakes shake Guatemala; President Arévalo evacuated

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Two earthquakes, magnitudes 5 and 5.6, shook much of Guatemala, causing alarm but no initial reports of casualties or damage.
  • The stronger quake, 5.6, had its epicenter in Quetzaltenango, while a magnitude 5 tremor originated in the Pacific.
  • President Bernardo Arévalo was evacuated from the presidential house as a precaution, and authorities are monitoring for potential damage.

Two earthquakes, measuring 5.0 and 5.6 in magnitude, rattled large parts of Guatemala on Friday, causing widespread alarm among citizens. While initial reports indicated no casualties or significant material damage, the tremors prompted evacuations from several buildings in the capital, including the presidential palace.

The people of Ghana gave me a mandate for one term, and I am working hard to meet the promises I made them.

— President John Dramani MahamaAddressing the debate over a potential third term during his tour in the Volta Region.

The more powerful quake, a 5.6 magnitude tremor, struck at 8:48 a.m. local time with its epicenter in the northwestern department of Quetzaltenango. This seismic activity occurred simultaneously with a 7.4 magnitude earthquake near Guatemala's border with Mexico, prompting a tsunami alert for the coasts of both nations from Mexico's Navy.

President Bernardo Arévalo de León and his staff were evacuated from the Presidential House in the capital's center. Arévalo urged citizens to remain calm and follow orderly evacuation procedures for buildings to avoid risks from potential aftershocks. A prior, smaller tremor of magnitude 5 occurred at 7:20 a.m. with its epicenter in the Pacific Ocean.

number our days

— President John Dramani MahamaHis advice to ministers to remain focused on delivering results.

National disaster reduction coordinators and fire departments are conducting a nationwide assessment of potential damage to vulnerable infrastructure. Various private companies and public institutions, including the Congress of the Republic, also evacuated their facilities as a precautionary measure. Guatemala's national disaster agency did not issue a tsunami alert for its own coastlines following the quakes.

If you ask my personal opinion, I believe it is clear. I’ve read it several times, and it says exactly what it means.

— President John Dramani MahamaOn the constitutional provision regarding presidential tenure.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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