Tsunami Warning Lifted, No Major Damage Reported After Mexico Earthquake

Mexican authorities reported no major damage or casualties after a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Chiapas state on Friday. The strong tremors were felt as far away as Guatemala and El Salvador. A tsunami warning issued for the Pacific coasts of Mexico and Guatemala was later lifted.

President Claudia Sheinbaum stated she had spoken with the governors of the affected states and confirmed that emergency protocols had been activated. However, she noted that the impacted states, such as Chiapas and Tabasco, reported no problems resulting from the quake. Separately, Secretary of the Navy Raymundo Morales told reporters there were ‘no serious impacts’.

Data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) indicated the magnitude 7.3 earthquake was centred offshore, 48 kilometres from the city of Aquiles Serdan, at a depth of 15.2 kilometres, following a revision from an initially reported shallow depth of 10 kilometres. Mexico’s seismological service recorded more than 30 aftershocks of varying magnitudes, including one reaching magnitude 6.8.

Following the strong tremor, the US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami warning for the coastal areas of Mexico and Guatemala, but later stated the threat had passed and cancelled the alert. The warning had indicated the possibility of dangerous tsunami waves along the coast within 300 kilometres of the epicentre, located in the sea 58 kilometres from the small coastal town of Puerto Madero. The system had warned that waves hitting the coasts of Mexico and Guatemala could reach heights of 0.3 to 1 metre above normal sea level.

Speaking at a press conference, Secretary Morales said water levels were not expected to rise more than half a metre, but he urged the public to stay away from the beaches temporarily. ‘There is no problem, no serious impact on maritime activities. We only anticipate a rise in water levels of up to half a metre in some coastal areas due to the tsunami effect from the earthquake,’ he stated.

The tremors were also felt in Guatemala and El Salvador, with several aftershocks registered in both neighbouring countries. In some areas of Guatemala, residents and office workers rushed into the streets as the quake struck. Several buildings in the capital, Guatemala City, were evacuated and classes were suspended in some areas near the Mexican border. Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo said there were no reports of fatalities in his country.