News summary produced by Claude AI
A powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake occurred off the coast of southern Mexico on Friday, with its epicenter near the fishing town of Puerto Madero. The United States Geological Survey measured the quake at a depth of 15.2 kilometers. The tremor prompted the US Tsunami Warning System to issue alerts for potentially hazardous waves along the coasts of Mexico and Guatemala.
Mexico’s navy secretary Admiral Raymundo Morales stated that there was no serious impact from the earthquake, though officials advised the public to avoid beaches. The recorded tsunami waves reached approximately 0.3 meters above tide level in Puerto Madero and Chiapas in Mexico. Several hours after the initial warning was issued, the tsunami threat was determined to have passed, and residents were instructed to remain cautious near coastal areas.
Governors from the affected Mexican states of Oaxaca and Chiapas confirmed the quake was felt with moderate intensity but reported no significant structural damage. In Guatemala and El Salvador, the tremor caused buildings to shake and prompted evacuations as people fled their homes. Guatemala’s President Bernardo Arévalo reported that the country’s emergency management agency was deployed in response. A series of aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 4.7 to 6 were subsequently recorded.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasted tsunami waves of less than 0.3 meters above tide level along multiple Central and South American coastlines. Officials in threatened areas were advised to alert populations at risk and instruct them to follow guidance from national and local authorities. The tsunami waves persisted for approximately 12 minutes in Puerto Madero and 28 minutes in Chiapas before subsiding.