6.5 Magnitude Quake Strikes Southern Mexico

A 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck southern Mexico on Friday morning, interrupting President Claudia Sheinbaum's first press briefing of the year and prompting evacuations in Mexico City and coastal areas near Acapulco.

The quake, which occurred at 7:58 a.m. local time, had its epicenter approximately 15 kilometers southwest of San Marcos in the state of Guerrero, according to Mexico's national seismological service. The United States Geological Survey placed the epicenter slightly north-northwest of nearby Rancho Viejo, about 57 miles northeast of the Pacific coast resort city of Acapulco. Preliminary reports from the German Research Center for Geosciences indicated a shallow depth of around 10 kilometers, while the USGS estimated it at 35 kilometers. The tremor was felt strongly in Mexico City, more than 230 kilometers to the north, where residents and office workers rushed into the streets as seismic alarms blared.

During the presidential briefing at the National Palace, alarms sounded mid-sentence, forcing Sheinbaum, officials, and journalists to evacuate. Video footage captured the president remaining composed as she urged those present to leave calmly. "We will present it...