6.9 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes in Guatemala, Triggers Landslides

Several media outlets are reporting that a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck Guatemala early Wednesday, causing moderate damage and injuring at least one person. 

CBS News is reporting that the quake in western Guatemala near the border with Mexico caused moderate damage to homes, triggered some landslides across highways and injured at least one person early Wednesday, officials said.

According to the report, the U.S. Geological Survey said the tremor was centered five miles southwest of Tajumulco, Guatemala, about 69 miles below the surface. According to Fox News, the earthquake struck at 1:29 a.m. local time in the department of San Marcos west of the capital near the Mexican border, Guatemala's emergency coordination agency said. 

According to The Telegraph, President Jimmy Morales posted a message on Twitter saying "stay calm and be alert to possible aftershocks."

Across the border in Chiapas, Mexico, Gov. Manuel Velasco said via Twitter that there were reports of cracked walls and shattered windows in Huixtla, but so far no injuries, according to the CBS report. According to The Telegraph, the Guatemala's National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction said that the lone reported injury was sustained in the southwestern village of San Sebastian after an old church collapsed.

According to The Telegraph, Guatemala is in a risk zone for tremors, located where the Caribbean Cocos tectonic plates converge with North America's tectonic plates. San Marcos was hit by earthquakes in 2012 and 2014 that left dozens dead, according to that report.
 

All media outlets have reported that there has been no tsunami warning.

Keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for more updates on this story and be sure to follow Travel Agent’s Joe Pike on Twitter @TravelPike and Instagram @pike5260

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