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A 7.4 magnitude earthquake shook the south of Mexico this Friday morning, with an epicenter off the coast of Chiapas. This triggered preventive evacuations of homes, offices, and businesses, as well as the activation of emergency protocols in the state, with no casualties or significant damage reported so far.
The National Seismological Service (SSN) reported that the earthquake occurred at 08:48 local time (14:48 GMT), with an epicenter 135 kilometers southwest of Ciudad Hidalgo, on the border with Guatemala.
- TAMBIÉN LEE: Sismo de magnitud 7.4 sacude Chiapas; evacúan viviendas y comercios tras fuerte movimiento
The organization later corrected a preliminary report that had estimated a magnitude of 6.8 and a different location, to confirm that it was a 7.4 magnitude earthquake.
The tremor was felt in large areas of Chiapas, including the tourist municipality of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, where dozens of people left buildings and remained in streets and open spaces while authorities checked for possible damage.
The shaking also caused alarm in public offices, workplaces, and commercial establishments in different municipalities, where evacuation protocols were implemented as a preventive measure.
Minutes later, at 09:21 local time (15:21 GMT), an aftershock perceptible to the population was recorded, which prolonged the uncertainty and led many people to remain outside their homes.
The Chiapas Secretariat of Civil Protection reported that it activated monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in the different regions of the state to determine possible damage to infrastructure, homes, and basic services.
Likewise, the agency urged the population to remain calm, avoid spreading rumors, and follow only the information issued by official channels.
Among the recommendations disseminated by the authorities are checking gas and electrical installations, staying away from structures that could pose a risk, and reporting any incident to the 911 emergency number.
One of the aspects that caused concern among inhabitants of San Cristóbal de Las Casas was the absence of an audible seismic alarm, so many people reacted only when they felt the earthquake.
Mexico is located in one of the most active seismic regions in the world due to the interaction of the Cocos, North American, Rivera, Pacific, and Caribbean tectonic plates. Southern states and the Pacific coast, such as Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Guerrero, frequently record earthquakes of considerable intensity.
The earthquake also occurred in an area historically vulnerable to these types of phenomena. In September 2017, an 8.2 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter off the coast of Chiapas left dozens dead and caused severe damage in the south of the country, being one of the strongest recorded in Mexico's recent history.
So far, federal and state authorities continue inspection work to rule out major damage.
[Publicidad]