A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 rattled southern and central Mexico on Friday, disrupting President Claudia Sheinbaum’s first press briefing of the year as emergency alarms blared.
The epicentre of the quake was near San Marcos in Guerrero state, close to the Pacific coast resort city of Acapulco, as reported by Mexico’s national seismological agency.
The U.S. Geological Survey noted that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 21.7 miles, about 2.5 miles north-northwest of Rancho Viejo in Guerrero, approximately 57 miles from Acapulco. After consulting with Guerrero’s Governor Evelyn Salgado, President Sheinbaum reassured the public that no severe damage had been reported. The incident prompted residents and tourists in Mexico City and Acapulco to flee to the streets in a panic.
(With inputs from agencies.)