A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 struck southern and central Mexico on Friday, triggering seismic alarms and interrupting President Claudia Sheinbaum’s first press briefing of the new year.
According to Mexico’s National Seismological Service, the quake’s epicenter was located near the town of San Marcos in the southern state of Guerrero, close to the Pacific coast resort city of Acapulco.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the earthquake occurred at a depth of approximately 35 kilometers, north-northwest of Rancho Viejo, a mountainous area about 91 kilometers northeast of Acapulco.
Landslides and Public Alarm
Guerrero’s civil defense agency confirmed that landslides were reported around Acapulco and on several highways in the state, though no major damage has been recorded so far.
Residents and tourists in Mexico City and Acapulco rushed into the streets as the shaking began, following the activation of the country’s seismic alert system.
After resuming her briefing, President Sheinbaum said she had spoken with Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado, who informed her that no serious damage had been reported.
Eyewitness Accounts and Communication Disruptions
José Raymundo Díaz Taboada, a doctor and human rights defender living in the hills above Acapulco, described hearing a loud rumbling sound, followed by dogs barking across the neighborhood.
“The seismic alert went off on my phone, and then the shaking began—strong and very noisy,” he said. He added that the tremor felt less intense than some previous earthquakes, but he had prepared an emergency backpack in case aftershocks continued.
Díaz Taboada also reported that communications were disrupted, preventing him from reaching friends in the Costa Chica region southeast of Acapulco.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation as aftershocks remain possible.
