Magnitude 7.3 Earthquake Shakes Mexico & Guatemala: Landslides, Aftershocks, and Mass Evacuations.

[00:00:20]A powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the Mexico with Guatemala border, followed by a series of strong aftershocks.

[00:00:29]A tsunami warning was issued, but no major damage has been reported.

[00:00:35]A powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake shook the Pacific coast of southern Mexico on Friday morning, near the border with Guatemala.

[00:00:44]Millions of people across Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador felt the strong shaking.

[00:00:50]The earthquake triggered a tsunami warning, causing widespread panic as residents evacuated their homes and public buildings.

[00:00:57]It also triggered several landslides in mountainous areas.

[00:01:16]According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake struck offshore near the coast of Chiapas State, Mexico, with a magnitude of 7.3.

[00:01:26]The epicenter was located approximately 48 kilometers southwest of the town of Aquiles Serdán, at a depth of about 15 kilometers beneath the seafloor, allowing the shaking to spread across a wide region.

[00:01:41]Seismologists said a smaller offshore earthquake occurred in the same area before the main shock.

[00:01:47]After the initial quake, at least 10 aftershocks ranging from magnitude 4.9 to 6.0 were recorded.

[00:01:55]Many residents were afraid to return home because they feared additional powerful tremors.

[00:02:15]In the city of Tapachula, the largest city along Mexico's southern border, many residents said the earthquake began with light shaking before rapidly becoming much stronger within seconds.

[00:02:28]Alejandra Mendoza, an administrative employee at a public hospital in Tapachula, said she and her coworkers were working on the second floor when the earthquake began.

[00:02:39]"At first, we thought the shaking would end quickly, but it kept getting stronger.

[00:02:44]Everyone immediately moved to the ground floor and evacuated in an orderly manner to the open area in front of the hospital," she said.

[00:03:03]According to Tapachula Civil Protection, the earthquake did not cause any major structural collapses, but it sparked widespread panic.

[00:03:11]Demetrio Martínez, head of the local Civil Protection agency, said a thirty-year-old Haitian migrant woman became frightened and jumped from the balcony of an apartment building, falling about 1.9 meters to the ground.

[00:03:27]She suffered broken bones and was taken to a hospital for emergency treatment, but her injuries were not considered life-threatening.

[00:03:35]Another person suffered minor injuries after a store window shattered while the building was shaking.

[00:03:56]Meanwhile, in Guatemala City, the capital of Guatemala, the unusually long earthquake left many residents terrified.

[00:04:04]During the morning rush hour, thousands of people evacuated office buildings, shopping centers and residential complexes to seek safety outdoors.

[00:04:13]Several public buildings were also evacuated as a precaution against possible structural damage or powerful aftershocks.

[00:04:21]Numerous videos posted on social media showed several landslides along mountain roads in western Guatemala, where steep terrain and unstable soil made the region especially vulnerable after a major earthquake.

[00:04:50]In Mexico City, hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter, many high-rise buildings were still visibly shaking.

[00:04:57]Notably, Mexico's well-known earthquake early warning system was not activated before people felt the shaking.

[00:05:05]The Mexican government explained that the seismic energy released during the first few seconds of the earthquake did not exceed the threshold required to trigger the automatic warning system.

[00:05:17]As a result, the emergency sirens did not sound as they had during many previous major earthquakes.

[00:05:36]Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum later said preliminary reports from local authorities indicated that no major casualties or significant property damage had been reported.

[00:05:48]She said rescue teams, the military, and civil protection agencies were continuing to inspect all affected areas to ensure that no hidden damage was overlooked.

[00:05:59]The Mexican Navy advised people to stay away from beaches for at least 6 hours because of the potential tsunami threat.

[00:06:07]The Chiapas State Meteorological Agency also warned that tsunami waves of up to 1 meter could develop off the coasts of Mexico and Guatemala, although officials described the overall risk as limited.

[00:06:36]In San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, many residents also felt the earthquake.

[00:06:42]However, officials said no casualties or significant damage had been reported.. However, it has not yet been determined whether it was directly related to the aftershock sequence of the main earthquake.

[00:06:55]Alongside official reports, numerous videos capturing the moment the earthquake struck quickly spread across social media.

[00:07:11]One of the most widely shared videos showed a truck traveling along a mountain road when a massive landslide suddenly crashed down from the mountainside onto the roadway.

[00:07:22]A huge cloud of dust and debris engulfed the road within seconds.

[00:07:27]Fortunately, the truck escaped the danger zone just before it was buried.

[00:07:31]Another video showed a large chandelier inside a home swinging violently as the entire room shook.

[00:07:38]The person recording the video expressed amazement as the chandelier continued to sway dramatically for several seconds.

[00:07:56]According to Mexican Navy Secretary Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles, initial inspections found that the earthquake caused no major damage to critical infrastructure, including seaports, military bases and major transportation systems.

[00:08:12]Meanwhile, Chiapas State Civil Protection said that 2 to 3 people were initially reported injured, mostly because of panic during evacuations rather than collapsing buildings.

[00:08:24]Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo also said that, as of the latest report, the government had received no reports of earthquake-related fatalities.

[00:08:48]Mexico's Pacific coast has long been considered one of the most seismically active regions in the world.

[00:08:55]Much of Central America is also among the world's most seismically active regions.

[00:09:00]This is because these areas lie along the boundaries of several major tectonic plates.

[00:09:06]Powerful earthquakes occur frequently in the region and sometimes result in devastating onsequences.

[00:09:13]Earlier this year, another strong earthquake struck southern and central Mexico, killing 2 people.

[00:09:20]Previously, the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Mexico City in 2017 caused a devastating disaster.

[00:09:29]It claimed the lives of hundreds of people and destroyed numerous buildings, becoming one of the most tragic events in the country's modern history.