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Magnitude 7.3 earthquake shakes the Pacific coast between Mexico and Guatemala

A tsunami warning was issued and canceled hours later; so far no victims or serious damage have been reported in Mexico or Guatemala.

A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.3 shook the Pacific coast on Friday on the border between Mexico and Guatemala, with its epicenter in the Mexican state of Chiapas. The telluric movement, felt from Mexico City to El Salvador, activated a tsunami alert for a few hours for the coasts of both countries, which was later canceled. The Civil Protection authorities are under constant monitoring, although as of the closing of this note no fatalities or material damage of consideration have been reported.

The earthquake was registered around 10:48 a.m., local time in Chiapas, with an epicenter about 48 kilometers southwest of the town of Aquiles Serdán, near Puerto Madero, in the municipality of Tapachula. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initially reported a magnitude of 7.4, which it later adjusted to 7.3 after further analysis. Minutes later, aftershocks of magnitude 5.3 and 4.7 were recorded in the same coastal area.

The shaking was strongly felt in southern Mexico, in much of Guatemala and even in El Salvador, while in Mexico City, located hundreds of kilometers away, the movement was also felt. This is the region of the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the areas of greatest seismic and volcanic activity on the planet.

As a precautionary measure, a tsunami threat watch was issued for the coasts of Mexico and Guatemala located within a 300-kilometer (186-mile) radius of the epicenter. The warning was lifted approximately three hours later, with no major anomalous waves recorded.

In Suchiate, a Mexican town located next to the river that marks the border with Guatemala, Mayor Elmer Vázquez Gallardo confirmed that monitoring was reinforced in coastal areas while the alert was in force. For its part, the Secretariat of Civil Protection of Chiapas reported that it remains active and constantly monitoring the situation in the state.

In Tapachula, the main city on Mexico's southern border, several residents described how the quake began mildly and intensified over the seconds. Alejandra Mendoza, an administrative employee of a public hospital in the city, told the Associated Press that they were on the second floor when the building began to move; As he explained, "we all evacuated orderly to the front yard" as soon as the shaking became more intense.

Southern Mexico and Guatemala are areas of high seismicity due to the interaction of several tectonic plates in the Pacific. The collective memory of the region still preserves the 7.1 magnitude earthquake of September 2017, which left hundreds dead in central Mexico, as well as an earthquake registered at the beginning of this year that caused at least two deaths in the south and center of the country. None of these precedents have been repeated, for now, with this Friday's earthquake, for which no casualties or serious structural damage have been reported.

•      Stay away from windows, mirrors, and objects that may fall during possible aftershocks.

•      Avoid the use of elevators until the authorities confirm that the buildings are safe.

•      In coastal areas, keep an eye on official announcements on the status of the tsunami alert.

•      Check gas and electricity installations before re-entering damaged buildings.

•      Only follow official Civil Protection channels to avoid misinformation.

Authorities in Mexico and Guatemala continue to assess damage in the coastal and border areas closest to the epicenter. The USGS maintains monitoring for possible aftershocks, while civil protection teams from Chiapas and the Guatemalan department of San Marcos remain on alert. This note will be updated as more information becomes available.

For copyright reasons, the original photographs are not embedded in this document; Listed below are the absolute links to the images and maps published by the media that covered the event.

🔗 Earthquake location map — https://media.foxweather.com/weather/Mexico%20Earthquake%20Locator.png  (Fox Weather)

🔗 Cobertura fotográfica y en video — https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/tsunami-threat-issued-mexico-guatemala-after-major-magnitude-7-3-earthquake  (Fox Weather)

🔗 Location Picture Report — https://www.foxla.com/news/mexico-guatemala-massive-earthquake-july-17-2026  (FOX 11 Los Angeles)

🔗 A magnitude 7.4 earthquake shakes the Pacific coast near Mexico and Guatemala — https://www.telemundo.com/noticias/noticias-telemundo/internacional/un-terremoto-de-magnitud-74-sacude-la-costa-del-pacifico-cerca-de-mexi-rcna588010  (Telemundo)

🔗 A 7.3 earthquake hits Mexico-Guatemala border with no immediate damage reported — https://abc7.com/post/73-earthquake-hits-mexico-guatemala-border-no-immediate-damage-reported/19526963/  (ABC7 Los Ángeles / AP)

🔗 Magnitude 7.3 earthquake hits Mexico-Guatemala border — https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/magnitude-7-4-earthquake-strikes-off-pacific-coast-near-mexico-and-guatemala/4051058/  (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)

🔗 Tsunami threat canceled for Mexico, Guatemala after magnitude 7.3 earthquake — https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/tsunami-threat-issued-mexico-guatemala-after-major-magnitude-7-3-earthquake  (Fox Weather)

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Note: This coverage is based on information available at the time of publication and may be updated as the situation evolves.

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