Buildings collapse as country hit by major earthquake

A major earthquake of 6.2 magnitude on the Richter scale hit Guatemala overnight on Wednesday. Footage shared on social media showed collapsed buildings in the Central American nation, with falling debris having damaged vehicles and landslides hitting many routes, forcing emergency workers to be deployed to clear roads.

The first tremor was felt at 1:12 am local time (7:12 am GMT). Two aftershocks were reported around forty minutes later, with a respective magnitude of 5 and 4.8.

The epicenter of the earthquake was reported at a depth of 96 kilometers in the Guatemalan city of Nueva Concepción, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).

It is not currently known whether any injuries or fatalities were caused by the earthquake.

The tremors on Wednesday come days after Guatemala was hit by 15 tremors in 24 hours. On Sunday, the Central American nation experienced lighter quakes, measuring from 3.2 to 5 on the Richter scale.

On that occasion, the country’s National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction confirmed no injuries or building damage was reported.

Guatemala is susceptible to earthquakes due to its location at the point where three tectonic plates, the Caribbean, Cocos and North American, converge.