AMATITLÁN, Guatemala Department — According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a 5.6 magnitude quake jolted close to Amatitlán Tuesday afternoon.

The tremor shook the area at 21:41 UTC (15:41 local time). It occurred at a depth of 10 km with the epicenter situated about 3 km south-southwest of Amatitlán.

Did you feel it?

If you noticed the earthquake, you can share your experience using the USGS Felt Report form. The agency has received 155 responses on its online form so far, from people saying they felt the quake. Strong to very strong shaking was detected, and residents in several cities — including Nuevo Cuscatlán, Huehuetenango, Sololá, Chinautla and Acatenango — reported feeling the tremor, according to the USGS DYFI report.

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

Over the last week, there has been one quake of magnitude 2.5 centered nearby. Prior to this quake, it was registered close to Palín.

Source: The U.S. Geological Survey