Strong M6.4 earthquake hits near the coast of Chiapas, Mexico
Image credit: TW/SAM, Google
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.4 hit near the coast of Chiapas, Mexico at 11:39 UTC (06:39 LT) on May 12, 2024. The agency is reporting a depth of 75 km (46 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
The epicenter was located 17.6 km (11 miles) WSW of Brisas Barra de Suchiate (population 13 743), 34.2 km (21.2 miles) SW of Ciudad Hidalgo (population 14 606), 51.6 km (32 miles) SSW of Tapachula (population 202 672), and 74.4 km (46.2 miles) W of Retalhuleu (population 90 505).
288 000 people are estimated to have felt strong shaking, 1 887 000 moderate, and 12 766 000 light.
The USGS issued a Yellow alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. Some casualties and damage are possible and the impact should be relatively localized. Past yellow alerts have required a local or regional-level response.
Estimated economic losses are less than 1% of GDP of Guatemala.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake-resistant construction. The predominant vulnerable building types are mud walls and adobe blocks with concrete bond beam construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses.
While there were no immediate reports of damage in Mexico, several homes sustained structural damage in Guatemala’s municipalities of San Marcos and Quetzaltenango.
Large cracks were reported in the walls of a hospital in San Marcos.
Several landslides were also reported in Guatemala, most notably in Zunil.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
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