Series of earthquakes strike near Guatemala City, causing injuries and damage

A series of shallow earthquakes struck near Guatemala’s capital on Tuesday, causing several injuries, structural damage, and landslides, according to officials and local media.

The sequence began at 3:11 p.m. local time with a magnitude 4.8 quake southwest of Guatemala City. About 30 minutes later, a stronger magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the same area, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Nearly 40 aftershocks have followed, including another magnitude 4.8 about 15 minutes after the main shock.

The epicenters were located near the city of Amatitlán, roughly 3 miles (4.7 km) from Guatemala City, at depths of up to 6.2 miles (10 km), based on USGS data.

At a press briefing, President Bernardo Arévalo said five people were buried by land and rockslides. Two have been rescued and hospitalized. Another three individuals were treated for medical emergencies.

Arévalo also confirmed damage to several structures, mainly homes built with sun-dried blocks. Community centers and shelters have been opened for families affected by the tremors or hesitant to return home.

Classes and work activities were suspended for Wednesday in the departments of Guatemala, Escuintla, and Sacatepéquez to allow emergency personnel to assess structural damage. “The reason for these suspensions is so emergency management agencies can evaluate damages,” Arévalo said.

Guatemala is part of the commonly denominated Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active region that encircles much of the Pacific Ocean. While the Ring of Fire is known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, it is not a single, unified system.

One of the most destructive earthquakes in Guatemala’s history struck on February 4, 1976, when a magnitude 7.5 quake hit near Guatemala City, killing more than 23,000 people and injuring over 75,000. The quake destroyed or severely damaged hundreds of thousands of homes, leaving over a million people homeless. It remains one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded in Central America.