Watch: Earthquake hits during Mexican President’s address - Here’s what happens next
A powerful 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck southern Mexico on Friday morning, disrupting President Claudia Sheinbaum's press briefing and prompting a swift evacuation of the National Palace. The tremor was felt across Mexico City and surrounding regions, but authorities reported no immediate major damage or casualties. Early warning systems proved crucial in alerting residents to the seismic event.
A strong earthquake struck Mexico on Friday morning, abruptly interrupting President Claudia Sheinbaum’s regular press briefing at the National Palace and triggering a swift evacuation captured on camera.As Sheinbaum was addressing reporters, seismic alarms sounded across Mexico City, forcing the president, her staff and journalists to leave the historic building and move to safety. The moment, broadcast live, showed the press conference being cut short as officials calmly followed emergency protocols.
Mexico’s National Seismological Service said the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.5, with its epicentre located near San Marcos in the southern state of Guerrero, close to the Pacific coast and not far from the resort city of Acapulco.
The US Geological Survey reported that the quake struck shortly after 8am local time at a depth of around 35 kilometres.
The tremor was felt across southern and central Mexico, including Mexico City, where residents rushed out of homes, offices and hotels after sirens and mobile phone alerts warned of strong shaking. Despite the scale of the quake, authorities said there were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties.
Speaking after resuming her briefing a short time later, Sheinbaum said she had spoken with Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado, who confirmed that no major damage had been reported so far in the state or in the capital.Residents described moments of fear as buildings swayed. Karen Gómez, a 47-year-old office worker living on the 13th floor of an apartment block in Mexico City, said she was jolted awake by the alert. “I woke up in terror. My phone said it was a powerful earthquake,” she told AFP. Another resident, Norma Ortega, said she could clearly feel her building shake.