Guatemala Hit by Earthquake

The magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck at 1:29 p.m. local time (3:29
p.m. EDT) and was centered 70 miles southwest of Guatemala City off the
Pacific coast, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

That's about the size of the temblor that struck the San Francisco
area during the 1989 Major League Baseball World Series and just larger
than the 1994 Northridge quake.

Firefighters in Guatemala City said they had no immediate reports of injury or damage.

Radio Sonora reported that houses were damaged along the Pacific
coast, with mudslides in several areas. But firefighters in several
coastal communities, including Santa Rosa and Escluintla, told The
Associated Press they had received no reports of damage.

The quake was felt in neighboring El Salvador, where people ran into the streets in the capital of San Salvador.

Carlos Lopez, a spokesman for the Red Cross in El Salvador, said
there were no immediate reports of major damage in that country.

A strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Guatemala on Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, and some buildings were evacuated in the capital.

No injuries were immediately reported.

The USGS had previously reported the quake, which hit 46 miles (75 km) south of the coastal town of Escuintla, as having a magnitude of 7.2.