Mexico: Magnitude-5.0 offshore earthquake occurs southwest of Puerto Madero, March 16

A magnitude-5.0 earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Chiapas State, Mexico, at around 07:56 March 16. The epicenter was about 123 km (76 miles) southwest of Puerto Madero. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of Chiapas State, Mexico, and part of San Marcos, Quetzaltenango, and Retalhuleu departments. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties, and significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light 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.