A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 rattled southern and central Mexico on Friday morning, causing millions to evacuate buildings and briefly interrupting the first press conference of the year by President Claudia Sheinbaum. The earthquake struck at 7:58 a.m. local time, with its epicenter located in the mountains near San Marcos in the state of Guerrero, approximately 57 miles northeast of the resort city of Acapulco.
The tremor was felt across a wide region, including in Mexico City, some 300 kilometers away. Seismic alarms sounded in the capital, interrupting President Sheinbaum's live address at the National Palace. Video of the event showed the President, her staff, and journalists calmly but swiftly evacuating the historic building to move to safety. She resumed her briefing shortly afterward, telling reporters that she had been in contact with Guerrero's governor and that, so far, no serious damage or casualties had been reported in either the state or the capital. In an update on social media, the President noted that the largest recorded aftershock had a magnitude of 4.2.
The earthquake's effects were widely felt. In Mexico City, residents poured into the streets as cell phone alerts and public sirens warned of the impending shaking. Karen Gómez, a resident on the 13th floor of an apartment building, described waking "in terror" to the alert on her phone. Closer to the epicenter in Guerrero, Dr. José Raymundo Díaz Taboada reported hearing a strong rumble before the shaking began and noted that neighborhood dogs started barking. He also mentioned that communications were cut with some friends in coastal areas southeast of Acapulco. Authorities in Guerrero reported various landslides on highways around Acapulco.
Scientists estimate that around 5.7 million people in central Mexico experienced some level of shaking. The United States Geological Survey reported the quake's depth at 35 kilometers (21.7 miles), which is considered moderately shallow. Preliminary analysis suggests the earthquake presented moderate challenges for fatalities and damage, but the depth and earthquake-resistant construction in many areas likely helped prevent more severe outcomes. By Friday afternoon, seismic monitors had recorded several aftershocks, including ones with magnitudes of 4.2 and 4.5.
The event served as a stark reminder of Mexico's location along the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire. It also demonstrated the critical function of the country's earthquake early warning system, which provided alerts to phones and public speakers seconds before the shaking arrived, giving people valuable time to seek safety. Residents in affected areas were advised to remain alert for potential aftershocks.