A severe earthquake on the south coast of Guatemala has claimed three lives. Around 31,000 people were affected by power outages.
Guatemala City – Three people died in an earthquake in Guatemala on Wednesday morning (02/16/22). According to authorities, three women suffered a fatal heart attack. The quake had a magnitude of 6.2, according to the US Earthquake Observatory. Guatemalan authorities reported a magnitude 6.8 followed by a magnitude 4.8 aftershock.
Numerous houses were destroyed and roads were blocked by landslides. According to a news agency in the Central American country, a total of 89,785 people were affected by the earthquake – around 31,000 of them from power outages. The center of the quake was 84 kilometers deep in the coastal district of Escuintla, less than 100 kilometers southwest of Guatemala City. According to the US Geological Survey, Guatemala’s neighboring countries of El Salvador and Mexico were also affected. Only vibrations could be felt there.
Earthquake in Guatemala: One of the countries most at risk from natural disasters
Earthquakes are not uncommon in Guatemala. Three tectonic plates meet in the region, making the country one of the most prone to natural disasters in the world. More than 125 earthquakes were recorded in Guatemala last year, but they did not cause any deaths or major damage. (mos/AFP)
Headline list image: © Santiago Billy / dpa
