Guatemala: A magnitude-5.4 offshore earthquake occurs south of Escuintla Department at around 11:55 Dec. 14

A magnitude-5.4 earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Guatemala's Escuintla Department at around 11:55 Dec. 14. The epicenter was about 28 km (17 miles) south-southwest of Nueva Concepcion. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 78 km (48 miles), and medium-to-light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of southern Guatemala, western El Salvador, and Mexico's Chiapas state. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; however, some damage is possible. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Aftershocks are likely over the coming days. The event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.