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Eduardo Verdugo / AP
People who work in office buildings along El Paseo de la Reforma stand outside Wednesday after evacuating their offices due to a Gautemala-centered earthquake felt in Mexico City.
Updated at 9:21 p.m. ET: A deadly earthquake off the Pacific coast of Guatemala on Wednesday has killed at least 48 people in two provinces, collapsed buildings, spurred landslides and rattled cities as far away as San Salvador and Mexico City.
Guatemala President Otto Perez Molina told an afternoon news conference that the dead are in the northwestern state of San Marcos near the Mexican border, where the majority of the damage occurred.
Earlier, he also said 100 people were missing and 76,000 were without electric power, NBC News reported.
Landslides blocked roads in some areas, authorities told Reuters, and about 40 houses were severely damaged.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude-7.4 quake struck 28 miles southwest of Champerico, Guatemala, near the border with Mexico. The epicenter was 25 miles below the surface.
CONRED, the government office for reduction of disasters in Guatemala, told NBC News an aerial evaluation of affected neighborhoods was being carried out amid reports of walls collapsing in homes and the loss of power and telephone services.
The manager of the Grand Tikal Futura Hotel in the capital, Guatemala City, told NBC News that she felt a "strong earthquake" but that the building had sustained no damage and guests were returning to their rooms.
A Reuters witness in Guatemala City said people were evacuating homes in parts of the capital, and firefighters and rescue workers were on alert. Office workers were also evacuating buildings in Mexico City and in the capital of the Mexican state of Chiapas, across the border from Guatemala.
"It was really big, I felt quite nauseous,'' secretary Vanessa Castillo, 32, who was evacuated from her 10th-floor office in Guatemala City, told Reuters.
Building janitor Jorge Gamboa said, "I was in the bathroom. When I came out the office was empty and I thought, 'what's happening? They didn't even say goodbye.'''
The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was a possibility of a local tsunami, within 100 or 200 miles of the epicenter, but they were not issuing an immediate warning for the broader region.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Hmmmm. Big one north. Big one south. Hope they're not zeroing in on the west coast.
Who's "they"?
Aliens, of course.
They, meaning the government. Someone on Alex Jones said the US has an earthquake machine, in addition to being able to control hurricanes.
Everybody knows that only Republicans control the weather!
If there looking for money or help from the U.S....tell them we have had enough dishing out the doe, Americans need help on the east coast so your on your own!! (or maybe Obummer can borrow more from China so we can send it to them.)
And we have a winner!! This became political in only 5 comments!! Kongrats Kornfed!! LOL!!
yeah but the prize for ignorance goes to Sharriannie as always!
LOL at you PRober....take it out of your pocket, not mine...I'm helping the east coast people...AMERICANS FIRST!!. AMERICANS FIRST!! Not ignorant to the folks on the east coast.
dont be so hard on shariannie, she's not playing with a full deck.
........but she does realize that our money would be better spent at home.
@bigdo
AMERICANS FIRST!! East coast people before anyone!!!!
why dont you tell that to Dickhead Cheney.
@bigdo
like I said Americans first. you sound like you have a problem with American's first...I don't...Americans always first.
Sharriannie,
What about those Americans who live in Guatemala? And, regarding your first comment... Who the hell said our country was asking America for anything?
sharriannie, I admire your love for our American people and also for your empathy for the east coast, but no where on here do I see the people of Guatemala asking for a handout! Why dont you calm down and stop being bitter. Have some empathy for other people, you know they are humans as well your no better in anyway.
like I said, she's not playin with a full deck.
sharriannie:
Guatemala offered us help and assistance when Katrina hit.
Iran and Pakistan have offered aid to the US in the wake of Hurricane sandy. Canada sent crews of electricians to the states on the US-Canada border to help get power lines up and re-established. The Red Cross in the UK raised funds to help the American Red Cross, and the Red Crescent (in the Middle East, serves the same purpose as the Red Cross does in westernized world) offered aid as well. For pity's sake, one of the terrorists (Hafiz Saeed)on Homeland Security's top 5 most wanted list offered food, medicine and doctors (we very politely but firmly refused) saying it was his duty as a Muslim to offer help where it was needed per the Prophet Muhammad's teachings (his charity helped Sri Lanka and Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami.)
The list of countries who reached out to offer help to the US after Hurricane Katrina is sizable, too, I recommend you take a look.
And by the way, we are also currently offering aid to Haiti in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
And many, many corporations are donating to nonprofits like the Red Cross and Salvation Army. Goldman Sachs has given $5 million in supplies and monetary donations, and is also offering $5 million in business loans to small businesses affected by Sandy. Goya foods, the Hispanic-owned food company, donated 300,000 pounds of food and 25,000 meals. Duracell is providing free device-charging stations so that people who have no power can charge their cell phones and other devices until they get power back. FedEx gave 1.2 million to the red cross. GE gave $1 million. JP Morgan's offered $5 million. The NFL is donating $1 million. Prudential is donating $3 million. And the list goes on.
AMERICANS are so not first EVERYBODY is no matter what race they are !!!!
On Monday when the storm hit the East Coast I lost power, didn't get it back till Friday. Because the basement flooded, the furnace is kaput and so is our hot water heater, I haven't had a bath in two weeks and still haven't heard back from my landlord re: when he'll get here to fix the leaking roof, nonworking furnace and replace the non-working water heater.
Despite that, I know I'm incredibly lucky--I have a pen pal in NJ (widowed single mother, Special Ed teacher, two children) who I've been in sporadic contact with since she still has no power. She's relying on those Duracell charging stations to keep her cellphone charged and stay in touch with her family and friends (she sent her kids to inland NJ to stay with her mother through the storm.) And with her in mind, I walked five miles on Sunday out to the nearest Red Cross donation center to donate platelets.
While you are saying 'Americans first', remember to give what you can as well. Money, blood, platelets, whatever you can.
Do you think firefighters stopped to ask a homeowner if they were American or just had a green card before trying to save the house? do you think people who pulled other people out of rising flood waters asked if they were US citizens first? If you were there handing out ready-to-eat meals to hungry faces, are you going to ask them for papers to prove they are legal first before you give them that food? I wouldn't. No matter who you are and where you are, we are all, at the moment, human.
This story is to comment on the quake in Guatemala,not for some partisan bull crap. I hope they are able to take care of the injured and homeless. Unless you have experienced an earthquake you dont know what it is like. But you dont help one person and not the other. Some of you people should just keep your comments to yourselves. You act like a bunch of jerks.
How can you argue with someone who flunked English?
I hope no casualties will be involved...
Were there any fires though?
Couldn't be too bad....most Guatemalans live here in Florida.
Playing for the Marlins and Devil Rays, sport?
Nope....hanging at Home Depot taking cash jobs (aka: food out of legal citizens mouths), working for cash, landscaping (aka: taking food out of legal citizens mouths) and filling our schools with 5, 6 or more kids (aka: diverting resources from legal citizens).
planet x is coming and more and more quakes will hit this earth, they say the sky will be falling and it will be space junk hitting the earth when planet x moves pass our orbit. look it up cause the final days are coming.
All of these hurricanes and the strange weather patterns is caused by H.A.A.R.P......
Why is it HAARP and not HFAARP, as in VHF? Frequency get's no respect from the government.
The government is just protecting us. The HAARP tests are in preparation for sending out a beam of energy to deflect planet X away from Earth.
Anyone watch the movie '2012'?
Mexico city is built on a bowl of jelly. They would feel a tremor if somebody dropped an anvil in El Paso.
Mexico City is enormous.
Mexico City is sinking at a rate of 10" per year. So in 2 or 3 hundred years Mexico City will be a valley.
Jalapeno Jelly...
Somebody's upset. Wonder who.
The crust moves continuously. Let's hope there is little or no suffering.
7.5 earthquake and Dow takes plunge of 300 plus points day after obumbos win. Hmmm.
I guess the gods aren't very happy these days. Another 4 years. I can't believe the American people. :(
23 minutes. That's all it took to turn an earthquake into a political issue. You made pretty good time, but I think we can do better. Next time, let's see if we can break 15 minutes.
Theyre crying into their holy than thou wine this morning. So sad too bad. The country is in such terrible shape that most of the people thought the republican choice would make it worse. Nothing earth shattering here other than an earthquake story. Hope everyone is ok.
Why am I not surprised that a couple of right wingers would attach the DOW's drop and an earthquake to the president? First of all, the market is dropping mainly due to bad news from Europe, particularly Germany, as well as concerns over the fiscal cliff issue, which would be there if Mitt was elected. The earthquake is a natural phenomenon and has nothing to do with Amrican politics.
The sun is shining, and the world will continue - so get over it.
Of coarse a simpler explanation is it is from all the shaking going on North of the boarder from all of us dancing in the streets from having our president reelected for another 4 years.
Just saying.
Hate to be alarmist but...everybody on the West Coast of North American better get ready. We've been having daily "relief" quakes all up & down Southern California for the last 12 or so days straight. In addition to the factors causing havoc in the East, we have eclipses on Nov 13th and again the 21st which are known to stir up weather events. Learn from the Sandy folks and at least prepare. With all that's going on, resources are stretched pretty thin and folks must expect to be more self sufficient. Get extra water, ice, gasoline, some xtra food, batteries, candles, stuff for your BBQ. Make sure to have some flat/running shoes and a flashlight within reach. Know how to turn off your gas & water and know your neighbors and where to go in your area should something happen. If you have animals, please plan for them too. Hope I'm wrong, of course, but better safe than sorry! Peace!
I don't think you are being an alarmist. Very sensible advice. The way things have been, weather wise, over the past few years, anything is possible.
After having a short week with no power, etc last week I now understand by far the most important thing to have is clean running water. If you have that you can live in a place for a long time. Running water comes before food, heat, electricity.
You have small 'relief' quakes every day of every year in Southern california. You just don't feel 99% of them becuase they are so small. The lack of knowledge here amazes me.
Hope your wrong too specialK, but never a bad idea to be prepared and with a few good tips there too. (I am not from cali so I assume they are good, they rate high on the common sense meter)
Alan, I completely agree. Clean, potable water is the essence of life.
Ragtop, someone pi$$ in your post toasties this morning.....relax a little
mayas????
The said the world would end this year. They were right before.
Alan,
The Mayans never said the world would end this year. What they said was that this was the end of the world as we know it. It marks the end of the 4th Age of Mankind and begins the 5th and final Age of Mankind.
Alan
I didn't notice that the world ended in the past 5+ billion years. Which Epoch did it occur in? If it ended "before", how can it still be here?
They were right about an eclipse coming. Have you seen 'Apocalypto'?
No, not seen Apocalypto but did take course on Aztec Inca and Mayan cultures and an eclipse has nothing to do with the "end of the world". In some of your other postings, you recite the movie 2012 like it is your Mayan prophecy come true. Newsflash - the earth will probably be around with life teeming on it - human included - for at least another 4-5 Billion years when the sun in our solar system is due to burn out!
The Mayans only ran out of calendar space and are awaiting 12/21/12 for the beginning of a new age (kind of like Aquarius). Rest easy and if you are lucky, you will live your entire lifespan and not see the earth ended - except it will end for you and everyone else that starts "pushing up daisies" in the morning sun!
Live life to its fullest each day!
If you enjoyed your Mayan studies you would likely enjoy Apocalypto. But a warning, it is quite violent though, and a bit disturbing.
"The Mayans never said the world would end this year. What they said was that this was the end of the world as we know it."
Actually, R.E.M. said it...
Hey jack, school me a little, is this the first earthquake that ever happened? If not then why are there so many, the sky is falling people our there?
Newsflash for those worried about the Mayan calander ending the earth, it will not be anything so mystical that ends mankind. It will be some flipping idiot that got ahold of multiple nukes and is just racist enough to believe that he will get 7 virgins when he wipes out everything he can, then the counter-strikes will finish off those that would have survived.
Technically, the FOCUS was 25 miles below the surface. The Epicenter is the point that is felt at the surface, above the focus.
the end of the world of man is coming the earth isnt going anywhere and those that survive will have to rebuild after the destruction. There is a Planet X that will be on a 3600 year orbit and guess what its coming to fullfill the Mayans prophecy. the force of the magnetic pull as the planet x passes us will tilt the earth and also Planet X will be dragging all that space debris and metories will be hitting our planet. man will be destroyed but the earth will be here. yea get your water and food, me i'm getting off this planet. lol
Quakes happen. Most around the Ring of Fire - as was this one. Major quakes have happened throughout history; the thing now being that we have populated areas with millions of people. We take notice. As for the 4th Age of Mankind - yes, this is just that and it is winding down. Civilizations have flourished and fallen, land masses sank and mountains rose - yet human beings survived each "Age"; most with no evidence of previous ages. It doesn't mean the world will cease to exist - it means that the world 'as we know it' is and will experience massive global changes that will alter the present course of humans. To prepare, we need to keep in focus those things that are truly important to human beings - compassion, peacefulness, love ...
No, the world won't "end" (at least not until the life of this planet really does end - as all things must pass) but things might not be the same as they have for the past couple million years. We have a 'graduation' coming up - let's hope we have learned our lessons well and can move on into the final Age of Mankind as we should.
.... to all those effected .... be safe ....
If the world is going to end then how many more "signs" do we need to be sure.....
Folks,
Empty out your 401Ks and buy some water, guns, and ammo. This is our only shot, make sure we can stand up to those that will try to take "OVER" once civilization falls to Shllt...
Doing your best Ted Nugent impersonation?
Suprisingly, I do see some of that mentality in New Jersey. Rich man refuses to leave his summer home to be with his family home somewhere else. Look at that place! When the next wave of this catastrophy hits what does this man think? Young looters are going to load up one of those empty damaged boats boats lying around with TVs & Computors and row off with no gas. Row in the wind an flying debri when the 50 mi an hour winds hit? Looters? In a catastrophy like that? HOW? What kind of mentality is that?
In catastrophy, everyone is supposed to help. We have Governments to help and organize help. Because we all want to live and start over. Guatamala will do this. Mexico City will. USA will despite the narrow capacity of some of its members. And the world will continue to change.
Condolences and prayers go to the victims' family and friends.
I think that is about as close to a "sorry that was me" quote out of a media outlet for an earthquake report as we will ever get. Hopefully there is not too much loss of like, a 7.5 isn't anything to laugh at.
I'm more concerned with the poor elderly that have no heat or electricity in the Northeast.Dont worry they're making lots more Guats as we speak...trust me
You know they're not mutually exclusive, right? ie: You could be concerned about the folks in the Northeast AND those "Guats"... Dozens of people are dead, a$$hat.
Sad to hear about the loss of life. Condolences to the families of those killed. Hopefully thats it for damage and loss.
Nice spelling of Guatemala in the photo caption by the way!
oops stop all recovery projects in new york and new jersey. obama has to send the money to guatemala. sorry american tax payers these countries mean more to our phony president than you do. i bet they won't have to qualify to get help from fema.
All you delusional people that think even if they send money to Guatemala these people will actually get it??? Hell no! The corrupt government will pocket that money like they always have....
So there is NO point in fighting about "not sending money to guatemala" because those poor people would NEVER Get the money anyways!!
Besides last time I heard this country was in debt....TRILLIONS of dollars in debt ~15,000,000,000,000
So you would have to borrow from China to send money to other countries...
The USA is too busy sendin money to Iraq, Israel, and Turkey than the neighbors down south...
Dorks!
who give a rats ass; did they send any assistance to help us with Sandy? No so screw them and let them deal with their own issues
Classic right-wing values. Well played, Greg.
I was in Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala just three weeks ago -went to a volcano-an old church, a jade factory. RAZOR WIRE everywhere! -- on houses-- for those that had houses that is. Thousands of people live in tin shacks beggars selling bead necklaces were everywhere. The locals DO NOT venture into Guatemala City unless absolutely necessary--much too dangerous because of crime. Cartagena Colombia is fairly safe for Americans-Don't mess with drugs in Cartagena!--The cops don't arrest you--they tell you to run--bang! Watch for changes there--very strong on education. They pay parents electric bill if the kids get good grades. Panama City--poverty-razor wire everywhere--cops on moterbikes with machine guns. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico--I could live there.
Guatemala City--any aid money won't get there
"cops on motorbikes with machine guns"
Like that Machete movie?
Gotta get me some of that...