A powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Mexico, near the Guatemala border, on Friday morning.

A tsunami threat has been issued for the coasts of both countries.

“The earthquake happened at 7:48 a.m. Pacific time, and was originally reported as a magnitude 7.4 before being recalculated as a magnitude 7.3,” FOX Weather stated.

“The quake hit about 40 miles from the major port city of Puerto Madero, near the Guatemala border,” Fox News wrote.

“The powerful tremor prompted a tsunami warning and was felt across parts of Central America,” it added.

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Shaking was reported in Guatemala and Mexico, but the USGS said strong shaking could be expected across western Mexico and Guatemala, especially near the coasts.

This is the latest in a string of large earthquakes in the Pacific Ring of Fire.

The Ring of Fire is a 25,000-mile belt of volcanoes and earthquake zones surrounding much of the Pacific Ocean.

Footage online shows some of the shaking felt in the region:

USA TODAY shared further:

Following the tremor, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System said that hazardous tsunami waves were possible along coasts located within 186 miles of the epicenter. The waves could reach levels between 0.3 and 1 meter above tide level for some coasts in Mexico and Guatemala, it said.

Mexico’s Navy secretary, Raymundo Morales, said water levels were not expected to rise more than half a meter, but advised people to stay away from beaches nevertheless.

“There is no problem, no serious maritime impact,” Morales said during a regular government press conference. “We only expect some beaches to see a rise in water level of up to half a meter due to the tsunami effect from the earthquake.”

A series of aftershocks, including some with magnitudes between 5 and 6, were also felt in Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador.

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In Guatemala City, the earthquake shook buildings and prompted some residents to dash from their homes to the streets, according to a Reuters witness. Local media in Guatemala showed footage of staff evacuating a government building as security protocols were activated.

“I got really scared and it reminded me of the recent earthquake in Venezuela. So I ran out and went down the stairs because I live on the eighth floor. The shaking wouldn’t stop,” Alexander Valdez, a 29-year-old accountant, told Reuters in Guatemala City.

 

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