A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Mexico’s southern state of Chiapas on Friday, setting off a tsunami warning and sending tremors through neighboring Central American countries.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake’s epicenter was located near the Mexican city of Puerto Madero, at a relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometers — roughly 6 miles below the surface. Shallow earthquakes tend to cause stronger shaking at ground level.
In the wake of the tremor, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System put the surrounding region on alert for a potential tsunami threat.
The effects of the quake were felt well beyond Mexico’s borders. A Reuters reporter on the ground in Guatemala City described buildings shaking during the event. Separately, another Reuters witness confirmed the tremor was also felt across the border in El Salvador.
