A magnitude-6.9 earthquake on the Pacific Coast rocked a wide area of southern Mexico and Central America, killing at least two people in Guatemala Monday.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake hit at 6:23 a.m. (7:23 a.m. EDT) on the Pacific Coast 5 miles northeast of Puerto Madero, near the Guatemala border. There were reports of landslides , cracks in buildings, and downed utility poles. At least one person was trapped under a wall near San Marcos, Guatemala, Reuters reported.
Spokesman for local emergency fire services Raul Hernandez says at least two people were killed in the Guatemalan town of San Marcos when the walls of their homes collapsed, and there were reports of 30 houses damaged. Power outages were reported in Guatemala.
"This quake was pretty strong. There are houses destroyed," said Luis Rivera, governor of the San Marcos region, which was also hit by a 7.4 magnitude earthquake in late 2012 that killed 48 people.
Mexico local news media reported the quake was felt in the Mexican states of Chiapas and Tabasco.
The quake was centered in Chiapas, where panicked residents poured into the streets and the Red Cross said it was treating some frightened adults and children.
"I thought the house was going to collapse," said Claudia Gonzales, 32, who ran to the street in the town of Comitan with her 1-year-old daughter.
The quake was felt across a broad swath of southern Mexico-- as far away as Mexico City-- and also felt in El Salvador, but officials had no immediate reports of damage. It was centered 57 miles below the surface.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this story.
Source: Top Stories - Google News - http://ift.tt/1xGdQYd
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