The epicenter was located 3.5 km (2.2 miles) NW of San Vicente Pacaya (population 7 162), 4.7 km (2.9 miles) SSW of Amatitlan (population 71 836), and 6.1 km (3.8 miles) NE of Palin (population 65 873), Escuintla, Guatemala.
974 000 people are estimated to have felt strong shaking, 2 655 000 moderate and 7 868 000 light.
The quake was preceded by an M4.8 foreshock approximately 30 minutes earlier and followed by an M4.8 at 21:54 UTC, an M3.5 at 23:45 UTC, and an M3.9 at 00:06 UTC on July 9.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and Yellow alert for economic losses. Some damage is possible and the impact should be relatively localized. Estimated economic losses are less than 1% of GDP of Guatemala. Past events with this alert level have required a local or regional level response.
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.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses.
The National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) confirmed national emergency procedures were activated. An institutional orange alert was declared for Escuintla, Sacatepéquez, and Guatemala departments, with school and work suspensions ordered to facilitate rapid damage assessment.
At least six people died and more than seven were injured across Escuintla, Sacatepéquez, and Suchitepéquez departments. Fatalities included a father and son whose vehicle was struck by a rockslide while traveling from Palín to Santa María de Jesús. In the same municipality, a man was buried in a landslide while riding a motorcycle and later rescued. A woman in Villa Nueva was reported missing after being buried by another landslide.
CONRED reported over 64 homes damaged, including 46 severely damaged or destroyed. In Santa María de Jesús, a historic church was severely damaged, along with multiple adobe structures. Homes were also damaged in Amatitlán, Antigua Guatemala, and San Vicente Pacaya. In Guatemala City, one building collapsed and another sustained severe structural damage.
Landslides blocked roads and disrupted travel across the region. There were confirmed interruptions in electricity, phone service, and internet in municipalities closest to the epicenter.
INSIVUMEH attributed the quake to the reactivation of the Jalpatagua Fault, part of the complex tectonic environment resulting from the subduction of the Cocos Plate beneath the Caribbean Plate.
CONRED and emergency units responded to at least 61 emergency situations, deploying search and rescue teams and coordinating structural evaluations. In Sacatepéquez, military engineers assisted in debris removal and search operations.
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