Guatemala has been shaken by a series of earthquakes followed by several aftershocks.
According to Reuters, the Central American country was rocked by a series of earthquakes on Tuesday afternoon, sparking evacuation calls from the authorities.
As per the seismological institute of the country, a 5.2 quake struck southern Guatemala, which is around 60 km away from the capital, in the mid-afternoon. It was then followed by a series of tremors ranging from 3.9 to 5.6 in magnitude.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) data revealed that the epicentre of the quake was near Amatitlán city at depths of up to 6.2 miles (10 km), BNO News reported.
The disaster response agency of the country urged people to evacuate from the buildings to avoid casualties and injuries.
President Bernardo Arévalo told media that the earthquake triggered land sliding, which buried five people, with two rescued safely from the site and the rest of the people hospitalised.
He further added that schools and workplaces were suspended in the departments of Guatemala, Escuintla, and Sacatepéquez on Wednesday, July 9, “so emergency management agencies can evaluate damages.”
It is worth noting that Guatemala is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active area prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Guatemala experienced the worst earthquake in its history in 1976 when a magnitude 7.5 quake jolted the country, killing more than 23,000 people and injuring over 75,000.
