Magnitude 6.5 Quake Shakes Guerrero, Felt Strongly in Mexico City

MEXICO CITY, A preliminary magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck southern Mexico on Friday, producing strong shaking across Guerrero and into central population centers, including Mexico City and the Pacific resort of Acapulco. Seismic alarm systems interrupted President Claudia Sheinbaum’s first press briefing of the new year, and people in high-rise towers and public spaces rushed into the streets as tremors were widely felt.

Mexico’s national seismological agency recorded the quake with an epicenter near the town of San Marcos in Guerrero and characterized the event as shallow. The U.S. Geological Survey provided a specific location of 2.5 miles (about 4 kilometers) north-northwest of Rancho Viejo, Guerrero, placing the epicenter in a mountainous area roughly 57 miles (about 92 kilometers) northeast of Acapulco and estimating a depth of 21.7 miles (35 kilometers). Those differing descriptions reflect normal early variations in agency data while both place the temblor inland from the Pacific coast within Guerrero state.

State civil defense officials in Guerrero reported a number of landslides around Acapulco and on other highways in the region, and they are assessing road conditions and infrastructure. Initial releases did not specify highway names, casualty figures, or confirmations of major structural damage. President Sheinbaum resumed her briefing after the alarms and said she had spoken with Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado, who reported that, at the time of their conversation, no serious damage had been reported. Local authorities emphasized that evaluations were ongoing.

The quake’s effects were immediately visible in Mexico City, where the early warning system sounded and prompted office workers, commuters and residents to evacuate structures and gather in public squares and wide avenues. The capital’s geological vulnerability, with large areas built on an ancient lakebed, can amplify shaking and concentrate risk in certain neighborhoods. In Acapulco, hotel guests and beachfront visitors moved to open areas as hotels and local emergency services conducted preliminary checks.

Guerrero’s rugged terrain raises the risk that shaking will trigger isolated slope failures and road blockages, complicating access for emergency responders. Landslides can cut lines of communication and delay damage assessments, and coastal tourism hubs such as Acapulco are particularly sensitive to even short-term interruptions around high travel seasons. Federal and state emergency agencies are coordinating to prioritize inspections of critical infrastructure, including highways and bridges, and to monitor for aftershocks.

Technical agencies have urged residents to follow local civil defense guidance and to avoid unverified information on social media as official assessments continue. The national seismological agency and the U.S. Geological Survey published the initial seismic parameters used by authorities to guide response efforts. Central and Guerrero state officials said they will update the public as field teams complete damage and safety evaluations.