Guatemala hit by powerful earthquake

A powerful earthquake has struck Guatemala close to the capital city, but residents said they barely felt the tremor and authorities had no immediate reports of damages or deaths.

The epicentre of Monday’s 6.2-magnitude earthquake, initially reported as a magnitude-5.8, was located 10km southeast of Guatemala City and had a depth of 200km, lessening its effect.

David de Leon, a spokesman for Guatemala’s emergency agency, CONRED, said he had no reports of damage or victims.

Mario Cruz, a spokesman for firefighters, said: “So far we have received no reports of damage and we’re monitoring nationwide.”

A magnitude-6.2 quake is capable of causing severe damage.

In November 2012, more than 50 people were killed in a 7.5-magnitude quake in Guatemala in San Marcos state, a mountainous region near the Mexican border.

In 1976, a magnitude-7.5 quake centered about 159km northeast of Guatemala City killed some 23,000 people.