Powerful 7.4 quake hits Mexico coast near Guatemala, triggers tsunami warning

The US Tsunami Warning System warned that hazardous waves were possible along coasts located within 300 km (186 miles) of the epicenter.

A massive 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit near the coast of Mexico's southern state of Chiapas on Friday, triggering a tsunami warning. The quake sent tremors in nearby Guatemala and El Salvador too.

The quake struck near the Mexican town of Puerto Madero, and was a shallow one at a depth of 10 km (6 miles), Reuters news agency cited the US Geological Survey (USGS) as saying. It's epicenter was 48 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of Aquiles Serdan, near the coast of Chiapas, and it was preceded by a smaller quake with an epicenter a bit farther out in the ocean, the Associated Press reported.

No damage has been reported from the quake so far, with the Guatemalan President saying there have been no victims from the disaster. However, following the tremors, the US Tsunami Warning System warned that hazardous waves were possible along coasts located within 300 km (186 miles) of the epicenter.

Security protocols activated, people evacuate buildings

The Governor of the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, Salomon Jara, said in a post on social media that the quake was felt with with moderate intensity in the state's capital, adding that no serious damage had been reported yet. Meanwhile, in Tapachula, the main city on Mexico’s southern border, the tremor began mildly but gradually intensified, AP reported.

“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, told AP.

In Guatemala City, the tremors shook buildings, with the residents dashing out of their homes to the streets, Reuetrs reported citing a witness. Local media in Guatemala showed footage of staff and employees evacuating a government building as security protocols were activated following the quake. The quake also frightened residents because of how long it lasted

The tremors were also felt in El Salvador, Reuters citing another witness as saying.