Earthquake with preliminary magnitude of 6.5 rattles southern, central Mexico

A strong earthquake rattled southern and central Mexico on Friday, interrupting President Claudia Sheinbaum’s first press briefing of the new year as seismic alarms sounded.

The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.5, and its epicentre was near the town of San Marcos in the southern state of Guerrero near the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco, according to Mexico’s national seismological agency.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake occurred at a depth of 21.7 miles (35 kilometres), 2.5 miles north-northwest of Rancho Viejo, Guerrero, which is in the mountains about 57 miles northeast of Acapulco.

Sheinbaum resumed her press briefing a short time later and said that she had spoken with Guerrero’s Gov. Evelyn Salgado, who told her there was no serious damage reported so far.