A magnitude 6.2 earthquake shook western Guatemala early Wednesday morning, killing at least three people and causing property damage, according to the US Geological Survey. affect more than 31,000 people, according to a more recent, yet provisional Civil Protection report.
The epicenter was reported below the Esquindla coast, about 100 miles (100 kilometers) southwest of Guatemala City.
The local authorities for their part estimated that the magnitude of the earthquake was 6.8 magnitude and spoke of several aftershocks, the strongest of which was 4.8 magnitude.
The Disaster Reduction Coordination Service (CONRED, Civil Protection) announced that three women had lost their lives due to heart attacks “due to the earthquake”.
According to CONRED spokesman Rodolfo Flores, the main quake caused landslides that cut sixteen roads in half, power outages and damaged at least ten homes. The total number of victims is 31,297, he clarified.
The quake affected El Salvador and the Mexican state of Chiapas, bordering Guatemala.
The media reported on structural damage to buildings and power outages in cities near the capital, such as Misko and Cimaltenango.
The fire department announced that a landslide stopped traffic on a road leading from the capital to Antigua, the main tourist destination in Guatemala.
The state of Central America is in an area of ​​high seismic risk, as three tectonic plates intersect underground.
Last year, about 125 earthquakes were recorded, without causing any deaths or serious property damage.
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