A 7.4 magnitude earthquake was recorded 135 kilometers southwest of Ciudad Hidalgo, in Chiapas, and was also felt in other states such as Oaxaca, according to the National Coordination of Civil Protection (CNPC), without the seismic alert system being activated either on the streets or on cell phones. According to the Digital Platform for Alerting and Comprehensive Risk Management of Mexico (Sassla), it was not activated because there is no coverage (sensors) in the state of Chiapas. “The earthquake was detected only upon reaching the sensor stations in Oaxaca, where its energy no longer exceeded the preset levels for triggering the seismic alert,” details a Sassla statement on the social network X.
The National Seismological Service of Mexico has reported that the earthquake occurred at 8:48 (local time) and had a depth of 10 kilometers. Being shallow, the earthquake increases its intensity on the surface. Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles, Secretary of the Navy of Mexico, indicated at the end of the morning conference of President Claudia Sheinbaum – which took place in the municipality of Tulum, in the state of Quintana Roo – that “there is no problem” in the country after the earthquake.
The president has announced that she had contact with the governors of Chiapas and Tabasco, states that have not reported damage so far. “Protocols are activated in neighboring entities. […] It is important to follow the recommendations of Civil Protection. Authorities from all three levels of government are conducting inspections in the territory to assess possible structural damage and coordinate preventive measures. We will continue with the information,” Sheinbaum wrote on her account on the social network X.
Civil Protection has reported that no damage has been reported in the entities where the earthquake was felt. In Mexico City, the agency indicated that the earthquake was not felt by the majority of the population, except for some reports, and so far, there are no reports of impacts. In Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, the movement was felt lightly. As a preventive measure, evacuations were carried out in tall buildings, with no damage reported.
For Tabasco, the CNPC has reported that the earthquake was also slightly felt and that there are no reports of damage. In Chiapas, the state closest to the epicenter, the movement was felt moderately. The Civil Protection Secretariat of Chiapas has activated monitoring protocols and deployed personnel to conduct inspection rounds; so far no damage has been reported. Meanwhile, in Frontera Hidalgo, in the same state, the earthquake was felt with greater intensity, so preventive evacuations were carried out.
“There are no serious damages. In maritime matters, it is only expected that some beaches will see water levels rise up to half a meter due to the earthquake. The population is invited to stay away from the beaches for now,” Morales Ángeles told the journalists present.
The Chiapas Meteorological Agency about the possibility of tsunami waves being generated in the Pacific that could affect Mexico and Central America, but based on seismic information, buoy monitoring, and reports from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) and the Tsunami Warning System of the Secretariat of the Navy (SEMAR), the possible risk was analyzed and ruled out.
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