A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck western Guatemala early Wednesday (February 16th), the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported, killing a 50-year-old woman from a heart attack. , and causing damage that affected nearly 25,000 people, according to civil protection.
Read alsoNatural disasters: “We are already facing the consequences of climate change”
The epicenter of the earthquake, whose depth was 84 km, was in the coastal district of Escuintla, less than a hundred kilometers southwest of the capital Guatemala City.
Local authorities for their part estimated the magnitude at 6.8, stating that the quake was followed by an aftershock with a magnitude of 4.8.
The Coordination for disaster reduction (Conred, civil protection) reported the death of a 50-year-old woman, victim of a heart attack, in a village west of the capital.
According to Conred spokesman Rodolfo Flores, the initial tremor caused landslides on roads, power cuts and damage to homes that affected 24,790 people.
The earthquake was also felt in El Salvador and Chiapas (Mexico), bordering Guatemala.
Local media reported structural damage and power outages in towns near the capital such as Mixco and Chimaltenango.
Firefighters reported a landslide on the road leading from the capital to Antigua, Guatemala's main tourist city.
This Central American country is located in an area at risk for earthquakes because three tectonic plates converge there.
Last year, some 125 earthquakes which however did not cause fatalities or significant damage were recorded.
