6.5-magnitude quake hits Guatemala

An earthquake measuring 6.5 degrees on the Richter scale on Friday rocked Guatemala with its epicenter 244 km southwest of the capital.

The quake, recorded at about 06:13 p.m. local time (00:13 GMT), was sensitive in at least six geographic districts but the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction has not yet reported any significant damage and casualties. But the Coordinator has declared an institutional orange alert.

The quake was felt strongly in the capital, but the authorities have not reported any damage immediately. At the time of the quake, many people rushed out of their homes and several were treated by firefighters due to nervous breakdown.

In all these areas, as reported by firefighters, people were evacuated from building. In San Marcos, where a 7.2-magnitude quake in November last year killed at least 40 people, cries and screams of panic were heard.

Eddy Sanchez, director of the National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology and Meteorology, told Xinhua that they have detected an aftershock three minutes later after the main quake and the results of the seismographs are being analyzed to determine the possible cause of the quake.

The Traffic Department of National Civil Police have reported several landslides in the west and south of the country.