6.5-magnitude quake strikes off Guatemala’s coast

A 6.5-magnitude earthquake shook Guatemala’s Pacific coastline, causing some adobe homes to collapse in a town near the epicentre. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicentre was 6 kilometres (3 miles) south of Pajapita, and 168 kilometres west of Guatemala City. It had a depth of 67 kilometres (41 miles).

Guatemala’s fire department issued a statement on Friday saying some poorly-built homes were destroyed in the town of Patzicia, located between the epicentre and the capital city.

The Central American nation’s natural disaster agency said that at least three uninhabited homes collapsed, and a highway was blocked by a landslide.

The quake was felt strongly in the capital of Guatemala City, and caused blackouts in some areas, but authorities did not immediately report any damage there.

People ran outside their homes and some motorists stopped their cars in the capital city.

The temblor was also felt in neighbouring El Salvador, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage in the country.