Strong quake off Guatemala sends people rushing from homes
Pastor Dale Morgan
Thursday June 14, 5:29 AM
*Strong quake off Guatemala sends people rushing from homes*
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck off Guatemala's Pacific coast
Wednesday, causing panic in the Central American country.
The quake, which struck at 1:29 pm (1929 GMT) was also felt in
neighboring El Salvador, where employees rushed out of buildings to seek
safety in open spaces.
The US Geological Survey said the quake occurred offshore at a depth of
64 kilometers (40 miles), 115 kilometers (70 miles) southwest of
Guatemala City, and 135 kilometers (85 miles) west-southwest of Santa
Ana, El Salvador.
The US National Weather Service said there was no threat of a large,
damaging tsunami hitting Guatemala's coast or any other, "based on
historical earthquake and tsunami data."
"However, earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis
that can be destructive along coasts within a hundred kilometers (60
miles) of the epicenter.
"Authorities in the region of the epicenter should be aware of this
possibility and take appropriate action," the service said.
The intensity reading of 6.8 is based on the Moment Magnitude scale, now
used by US seismologists, which measures the area of the fault that
ruptured and the total energy released.
A measurement of 6.0 or higher indicates a strong quake, while seven and
above indicates a major quake.
The earthquake caused panic in southern Guatemala where residents rushed
out of their homes, fearing the walls and roofs could collapse.
Guatemala has coasts on both sides of the narrow Central American
continent, part of the "ring of fire," a concentration of geological
activity, volcanoes and earthquakes around the Pacific Ocean.
The country was devastated in February 1976 when a magnitude 7.5 quake
struck 160 kilometers (100 miles) northeast of Guatemala City, killing
23,000 people, causing houses to collapse and triggering landslides that
cut off numerous roads.
Thousands of aftershocks from the 1976 quake caused additional damage
and death, hindering electricity repair and supplies of food and water
while thousands remained homeless.