Updated on: July 17, 2026 / 1:22 PM EDT
/ CBS/AP
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A strong earthquake struck the southern Mexican Pacific coast on Friday, right on the border with Guatemala, and was felt from Mexico City to El Salvador. Authorities have not immediately reported any severe damage or casualties in any country and a tsunami alert issued was lifted about an hour after the quake. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.3 with the epicenter 30 miles southwest of Aquiles Serdan, near the coast of Chiapas and at a depth of 9 miles. It was preceded by a smaller quake with an epicenter a bit farther out in the ocean. There were at least five aftershocks between magnitude 5.1 and 6, according to USGS. In Tapachula, the main city on Mexico's southern border, the tremor began mildly but gradually intensified. "We were upstairs on the second floor when it started shaking; we thought it would pass, but then it got stronger, so we all went downstairs and evacuated in an orderly manner to the front courtyard," Alejandra Mendoza, an administrative employee at a public hospital in the city, explained to The Associated Press. In Guatemala City, the earthquake frightened residents because of how long it lasted. Many people poured into the streets in the middle of rush hour as the workday was beginning.
