Two earthquakes shake Guatemala, causing alarm but no initial reports of victims

Guatemala experienced significant seismic activity on Friday as two earthquakes, measuring 5.0 and 5.6 in magnitude, rattled much of the country. While initial reports indicated no victims or material damage, the tremors caused widespread alarm, leading to the evacuation of citizens from several buildings in the capital, including the presidential palace.

The more powerful earthquake, a 5.6 magnitude event, struck at 8:48 a.m. local time with its epicenter in the northwestern department of Quetzaltenango, according to the National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology, and Hydrology (Insivumeh). Coincidentally, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake occurred simultaneously near Guatemala's border with Mexico, prompting the Mexican Navy's Tsunami Warning Center to issue an alert for the coastlines of both nations.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo de León, who evacuated the presidential palace with his staff, urged citizens to remain calm and to leave buildings in an orderly fashion to avoid risks from potential aftershocks. The earlier, 5.0 magnitude tremor occurred at 7:20 a.m. with an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean. National disaster reduction agencies and fire departments are currently monitoring the situation nationwide to assess any potential damage to vulnerable infrastructure.

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Arévalo de León pidió tranquilidad a sus conciudadanos y recomendó desalojar de forma ordenada los edificios para no exponerse a riesgos ante eventuales réplicas.