MEXICO CITY, July 17 (Xinhua) -- A magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck off Mexico's southern state of Chiapas on Friday morning, shaking southeastern Mexico and parts of Central America, Mexico's National Seismological Service (SSN) said.
The quake occurred at 1448 GMT on Friday. The epicenter, with a depth of 10 km, was initially determined to be at 14.16 degrees north latitude and 93.29 degrees west longitude.
So far, no immediate deaths or major material damage have been reported. Authorities urged people to remain calm, follow official recommendations and rely only on institutional channels for information.
The SSN said several strong aftershocks had been recorded, with magnitudes ranging from 5.2 to 6.5.
The quake was felt in the Mexican states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Campeche and Tabasco, as well as in Guatemala and El Salvador. Oaxaca Governor Salomon Jara said on X that the quake was felt with moderate intensity in the state.
Civil protection authorities immediately activated inspection and monitoring protocols to check for possible damage and ensure public safety, Jara said.
Chiapas' Civil Protection Secretariat said on X that personnel from municipal civil protection departments had been deployed across different regions of the state to conduct inspections and identify any potential damage.
Authorities in Tabasco and Campeche said the quake was felt lightly there.
In Guatemala City, the quake prompted the precautionary evacuation of numerous buildings, with workers and residents leaving offices, businesses and other structures while authorities assessed the situation.
The quake was also felt in San Salvador and other parts of El Salvador. The country's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources ruled out a tsunami threat.
Mexico and Central America frequently experience seismic activity because of the interaction of the Cocos, North American, Caribbean, Rivera and Pacific tectonic plates, making the region one of the most seismically active areas in the Americas.
The SSN records an average of 90 to 100 earthquakes a day in Mexican territory, most of them of low magnitude and not felt by the population.
