A strong earthquake struck southern Mexico on Friday morning, causing damage to roads and hospitals and briefly disrupting President Claudia Sheinbaum’s first press conference of the year. The tremors were felt across a wide area, including Mexico City, located nearly 180 miles from the epicentre.
In Guerrero, a 50-year-old woman lost her life after her house collapsed during the quake, according to state governor Evelyn Salgado. Local reports also said a 67-year-old man in Mexico City died while evacuating his apartment building amid the shaking.
The quake caused visible movement at Mexico City’s iconic Angel of Independence monument, where the golden statue atop its tall column was seen swaying as the tremors rippled through the capital. Seismic alarms sounded shortly before 8 am local time, prompting residents to rush outdoors, many still in nightwear and carrying pets.
The 6.5-magnitude earthquake, recorded at a depth of about 35 km near Guerrero’s Pacific coast, was followed by hundreds of aftershocks. Mexico’s seismological service reported more than 420 aftershocks by midday, with the strongest measuring 4.7.
Authorities confirmed landslides, gas leaks, and damage to homes, public buildings, and medical facilities in Guerrero, a state that includes popular tourist destinations such as Acapulco. The region is still recovering from the impact of a powerful hurricane that struck in 2023.
During the quake, President Sheinbaum was addressing journalists at the National Palace when alarms went off. She acknowledged the shaking and calmly evacuated before resuming the briefing later. Officials said Mexico City and Acapulco airports suffered only minor damage and operations were not disrupted.
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