24 June, 2017
The US Geological Survey said the epicentre of the magnitude 6.9 quake was 8km (5 miles) southwest of Tajumulco, Guatemala.
A strong 6.9 magnitude quake hit Guatemala and southern Mexico Wednesday, killing five people, causing power outages, and knocking down homes, officials said.
A 7.0 magnitude natural disaster has struck off the coast of Chiapas, causing heavy damage to buildings and infrastructure in Mexico's southern state.
A man was killed when a church collapsed in San Sebastian, Retalhuleu, and a woman died in Tacana in the department of San Marcos after her house collapsed on her during the quake.
Guatemala's President Jimmy Morales, center, arrives to the National Emergency Coordination Agency's headquarters in Guatemala City, Wednesday, June 14, 2017.
The pre-dawn quake caused moderate damage to homes, triggered some landslides across highways and injured at least five people. Most residents are small-scale farmers or run small businesses.
Officials said classes in the area would be canceled on Wednesday to allow school buildings to be inspected.
There was no tsunami warning after the natural disaster. In Guatemala, more than three million persons live in permanent risk because of the existence of 10,000 vulnerable points to floods and slides, but also by the high seismicity derived from the convergence of the tectonic plaques called Caribe, Cocos and North America, as well as of other local geologic flaws.
San Marcos was hit by earthquakes in 2012 and 2014 that left dozens dead.
