Strong Earthquake rattles southern and central Mexico, killing 2

A strong earthquake rattled southern and central Mexico on Friday, interrupting President Claudia Sheinbaum's first press briefing of the new year as seismic alarms sounded and leaving at least two people dead. The earthquake had a magnitude of 6.5 and its epicentre was near the town of San Marcos in the southern state of Guerrero near the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco, according to Mexico's national seismological agency. There were more than 500 aftershocks. Even the metro started shaking and services were stopped for over 40 minutesThe state's civil defence agency reported various landslides around Acapulco and on other highways in the state.

Footage from Mexico shows how powerful the 6.5-magnitude earthquake was even the metro started shaking and services were stopped for over 40 minutes

#Temblor #Sismo #earthquake pic.twitter.com/J9oLOkgA9q

— Sumit (@A_Sumishiv1423) January 2, 2026

Guerrero Gov. Evelyn Salgado said that a 50-year-old woman living in a small community near the epicentre died when her home collapsed. Authorities also said that a hospital in Chilpancingo, Guerrero's capital, suffered major structural damage and various patients were evacuated. Residents and tourists in Mexico City and Acapulco rushed into the streets when the shaking began. Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada said that one person died after suffering an apparent medical emergency followed by a fall while evacuating a building.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake occurred at a depth of 21.7 miles (35 kilometres), 2.5 miles north-northwest of Rancho Viejo, Guerrero, which is in the mountains about 57 miles northeast of Acapulco.