Earthquake Shakes Guatemala
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GUATEMALA CITY (AP) – A powerful earthquake shook Guatemala on Wednesday, American seismologists said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries in the capital.
The magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck at 1:29 p.m. local time (3:29 p.m. EDT) and was centered 70 miles southwest of Guatemala City off the Pacific coast, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Firefighters in Guatemala City said they had no immediate reports of injury or damage.
Radio Sonora reported that houses were damaged along the Pacific coast, with mudslides in several areas. But firefighters in several coastal communities, including Santa Rosa and Escluintla, told The Associated Press they had received no reports of damage.
The quake was felt in neighboring El Salvador, where people ran into the streets in the capital of San Salvador.
Carlos Lopez, a spokesman for the Red Cross in El Salvador, said there were no immediate reports of major damage in that country.
The region is prone to earthquakes. One of Guatemala’s most devastating quakes was in 1976 when nearly 23,000 people died.
