An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 struck the southern Mexican state of Guerrero on Friday, the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said. The quake was at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), GFZ said. The earthquake’s epicentre was near the town of San Marcos in the southern state of Guerrero near the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco, according to Mexico's national seismological agency. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake occurred at a depth of 21.7 miles (35 kilometres), 2.5 miles north-northwest of Rancho Viejo, Guerrero, which is in the mountains about 57 miles northeast of Acapulco.
Tremors were strong enough to impact high-rises
Even as a comprehensive damage assessment was pending, initial reports indicated the tremors were strong enough to impact high-rises and historic districts, highlighting the capital’s vulnerability.
Moreover, the earthquake’s effects were felt from Acapulco’s coastal areas to the densely populated city centre, underscoring the seismic risk in Mexico’s tectonically active region.
Here's what Mexico' President Claudia Sheinbaum said
However, there was no damage in Guerrero reported immediately, Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum said on X, after speaking with the state's governor. She stated that no damage had been reported in the capital, Mexico City.
She was speaking at morning news conference when earthquake alarms sounded, with the president calmly evacuating alongside journalists.
Earthquake rattles southern and central Mexico
The strong earthquake rattled southern and central Mexico, interrupting President Claudia Sheinbaum's first press briefing of the new year as seismic alarms sounded. Residents and tourists in Mexico City and Acapulco rushed into the streets when the shaking began.
Soon after the earthquake was reported, the officials in Mexico City implemented standard safety checks, and Sheinbaum confirmed that the capital’s infrastructure had not suffered critical harm as a result of the quake.
