Strong quake hits Mexican coast near Guatemala, triggers tsunami threat

A powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake jolted Mexico's southernmost state of Chiapas on Friday, prompting tsunami warnings and shaking buildings across neighboring Guatemala and El Salvador. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake at a depth of 15.2 km, revising an earlier assessment of a 7.4 magnitude tremor at a shallower depth.

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There is no problem, no serious maritime impact. 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.

Authorities issued warnings for hazardous tsunami waves along coasts within 186 miles of the epicenter. Mexico's secretary of the Navy, Raymundo Morales, stated that water levels were not expected to rise more than half a meter, advising people to stay away from beaches as a precaution. "There is no problem, no serious maritime impact," Morales said, adding that "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."

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I got really scared and it reminded me of the recent earthquake in Venezuela. So I ran out and went down the stairs because I live on the eighth floor. The shaking wouldn't stop.

In Guatemala City, the earthquake caused buildings to sway, leading some residents to evacuate onto the streets. The event evoked memories of recent devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, which had caused significant damage and prompted extensive rescue efforts. Alexander Valdez, a 29-year-old accountant, described his fear, saying, "I got really scared and it reminded me of the recent earthquake in Venezuela. So I ran out and went down the stairs because I live on the eighth floor. The shaking wouldn't stop." Another resident, Adolfo Zacarias, sought shelter under a structural column, recalling the fear that resurfaced from the June 24 earthquakes in Venezuela.

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I think the memories of what recently happened in Venezuela came back to us and that scared us a lot.