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A powerful 6.5-magnitude earthquake rattled Mexico City and parts of the southwestern state of Guerrero on Friday, according to Mexico’s national seismological service.
The tremor forced President Claudia Sheinbaum to temporarily halt her regular morning press conference and evacuate the National Palace after the city’s earthquake alert system was activated.
Journalists and officials present were escorted outside before being allowed back into the building a few minutes later.
Sheinbaum later confirmed that the epicentre of the earthquake was located around 15 kilometres from the town of San Marcos in Guerrero, approximately 230 kilometres south of the capital.
She said initial assessments suggested there had been no major damage or casualties in either Mexico City or the affected coastal regions.
The United States Geological Survey reported that the earthquake struck at 7:58 am local time, equivalent to 13:58 GMT.
Mexico City remains especially susceptible to seismic activity due to its location on soft, waterlogged soil formed from the remains of an ancient lake. This geological condition can amplify ground movement, causing even distant earthquakes to be strongly felt across the capital.
Earthquakes that originate off the Pacific coast of Guerrero are among those most commonly felt in Mexico City.
The region has a long history of seismic activity, including the devastating 8.1-magnitude quake on September 19, 1985, which destroyed large parts of the capital and killed nearly 13,000 people, according to official records.
