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7.3 earthquake hits Mexico-Guatemala border with no immediate damage reported

Saturday, 18 July 2026

People evacuated buildings in Guatemala City on Friday after a strong earthquake struck off Mexico’s southern Pacific coast near the border with Guatemala. (AP/ David Barraza)

A strong earthquake struck the southern Mexican Pacific coast on Friday, right on the border with Guatemala, and was felt from Mexico City to El Salvador. Authorities have not immediately reported any severe damage or casualties in any country.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.3 with the epicentre 48 kilometres southwest of Aquiles Serdan, near the coast of Chiapas and at a depth of 15 kilometres. It was preceded by a smaller quake with an epicentre a bit farther out in the ocean.

In Tapachula, the main city on Mexico’s southern border, the tremor began mildly but gradually intensified.

“We were upstairs on the second floor when it started shaking; we thought it would pass, but then it got stronger, so we all went downstairs and evacuated in an orderly manner to the front courtyard,” Alejandra Mendoza, an administrative employee at a public hospital in the city, explained to AP.

In Guatemala City, the earthquake frightened residents because of how long it lasted. Many people poured into the streets in the middle of rush hour as the workday was beginning.

In the Mexican capital, where buildings in certain areas creaked and shook, the earthquake alert did not sound because, the government said, “the energy radiated by the earthquake during the first few seconds did not exceed the activation thresholds.”

In Guatemala City, the earthquake frightened residents because of how long it lasted. Many people poured into the streets in the middle of rush hour as the workday was beginning.
In Guatemala City, the earthquake frightened residents because of how long it lasted. Many people poured into the streets in the middle of rush hour as the workday was beginning.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that preliminary reports showed no damage. The navy recommended staying away from beaches for six hours because of tsunami risk.

In the town of Suchiate, located along the river that separates Mexico from Guatemala, coastal areas are being monitored for tsunami risk, according to Mayor Elmer Vázquez Gallardo.

The region is prone to earthquakes, many that can be deadly. Earlier this year, a strong earthquake rattled southern and central Mexico, killing two. Hundreds in Mexico City were killed in a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in 2017.