A strong M6.9 earthquake hit near the city of San Marcos in Guatemala, near the border with Mexico.
Several people have been injured, buidings have collapsed and power has been caught off.
The earthquake struck at 1:29 a.m. local time on June 14, 2017 near the Tajumulco Volcano, about 13.2 kilometers (8.2 miles) northwest of San Marcos in Guatemala, or 37 kilometers (23 miles) northeast of Tapachula in Mexico.
USGS put the preliminary magnitude of the earthquake at 6.9, while seismologists in Mexico and Guatemala put the magnitude at 7.0 and 6.6, respectively.
The strong quake struck at a depth of roughly 100 kilometers (62 miles).
Residents said the earthquake was felt across the region and woke up many people, but there was no immediate word on the extent of damage and casualties.
Photos show some damage in both Guatemala and Mexico. Moreover, several people have been injured in both countries.
Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales took to Twitter just minutes after the earthquake. “There has been a strong earthquake in our city, please keep calm and be on alert for possible aftershocks.”
Se ha registrado un fuerte #temblor en nuestra ciudad, por favor mantener la calma y estar atentos a posibles réplicas.
— Jimmy Morales (@jimmymoralesgt) June 14, 2017
Computer models from the USGS estimated that some 45.6 million people across the region may have felt Wednesday’s earthquake, including 997,000 people who may have perceived “strong” shaking.
“Wow what a shaker this one was. Even the electricity went out for a little bit and that never happens in all the earthquakes I’ve experienced here. All of my dogs went nuts and started running around and barking.” said a resident in Panajachel, about 77 kilometers (48 miles) southeast of the epicenter to EMSC.
Guatemala is on the so-called ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’. A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Guatemala in November 2012, killing at least 39 people.
