AMATITLÁN, Guatemala Department—A 5.7 magnitude quake was registered near Amatitlán Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

It was reported that a tremor hit the region at 21:41 UTC (15:41 local time). The epicenter was located approximately 3 km south-southwest of Amatitlán, at a depth of 10 km.

Did you feel it?

Those who noticed the earthquake are encouraged to report it via the USGS Felt Report form. So far, the agency has collected 154 online responses from individuals saying that they experienced the quake. According to the USGS DYFI report, strong to very strong shaking was detected and residents in cities including Nuevo Cuscatlán, Huehuetenango, Sololá, Chinautla and Acatenango reported experiencing the tremor.

Impact and estimated losses

Yellow alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. Some casualties and damage are possible and the impact should be relatively localized. Past yellow alerts have required a local or regional level response. Estimated economic losses are less than 1% of GDP of Guatemala. Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses.

Structure information summary
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake resistant construction. The predominant vulnerable building types are mud wall and adobe block with concrete bond beam construction.

Historical information
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake 167 km northeast of this event struck Guatemala on February 4, 1976 (UTC), with estimated population exposures of 1,017,000 at intensity VIII and 80,000 at intensity IX or greater, resulting in a reported 22,778 fatalities.

Past week’s quake

Last week, there was another quake of magnitude 2.5 centered in the region, which was also recorded close to Amatitlán, prior to this quake.

Source: The U.S. Geological Survey