TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the Mexican state of Chiapas in the Gulf of Tehuantepec on Friday, July 18, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The USGS stated the quake struck at 14:48 GMT (8:48 a.m. Mexico central time) at a shallow depth of 9.4 miles (about 15 kilometers).
The epicenter was approximately 29.8 miles (about 48 kilometers) southwest of the city of Aquiles Serdán, in Chiapas state, along the border of Mexico and Guatemala.
Tsunami Warning Triggered and Lifted
The strong tremor, felt in the three countries, including neighboring El Salvador, prompted a tsunami threat alert.
Citing The New York Times, the US Tsunami Warning System reported on Friday the possibility of waves reaching as high as 1 meter above tide level hitting some coasts of Guatemala and Mexico.
But the threat has passed, the agency confirmed, after sea level monitoring stations recorded only minor, non-destructive fluctuations. The tsunami warning has since been lifted.
Nevertheless, the agency advised people in affected areas to "remain observant and exercise normal caution at sea," as quoted from the BBC.
No major damage reported
The earthquake was preceded by a smaller one, and the USGS has reported at least five aftershocks between magnitudes 5.1 and 6 since the initial quake.
Authorities in Mexico and Central America reported no immediate deaths or major structural damage following the tremor, but powerful shaking sent people rushing into the streets for safety.
The tremor began mildly but gradually intensified, and in Mexico City, the earthquake alert did not sound because the energy radiated from the tremor did not exceed activation thresholds "during the first few seconds."
Demetrio Martinez, the head of civil protection in Tapachula, Chiapas State, reported that only one building had been damaged in the earthquake.
In response to the tremor, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum assured that the government was working to "assess possible structural impacts and coordinate preventive measures."
The earthquake struck during the president's morning news conference, according to Anadolu.
Meanwhile, in Guatemala, the earthquake struck in the middle of rush hour, resulting in many people pouring into the streets and several buildings evacuated. Residents were frightened due to how long the shaking lasted, reported ABC News.
Why is Mexico so volatile?
According to data from the USGS, the southern coast of mexico sits right on the edge of the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is why the region is so volatile.
The Cocos oceanic plate is slowly forcing its way beneath the North American plate, building up massive friction along the plate boundary. And when the locked rock snaps, it results in a shallow, high-intensity earthquake, similar to what rattled Mexico.
While the recent tremor reportedly claimed no life, earlier earthquakes had been proven deadly. Two people were killed when a strong earthquake struck southern and central Mexico earlier this year, while the death toll topped hundreds during the powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake in 2017.
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