This week an earthquake with a 7.4 magnitude on the richter scale rocked Guatemala and many parts of Mexico and Central America. The earthquake occurred about 25 miles under the water along the coast of Guatemala but could be felt in multiple places, including Antigua.
At 10:35 am while I was in my Spanish class, our tables started to rock and we were all moved into the garden to wait out the tremors. As this was the second earthquake since being here, I tried to stay calm, but the rocking was much stronger and lasted much longer. Even some of the locals became nervous but tried to stay calm for our sake. Finally after what seemed like forever, the shaking stopped and classes were resumed.
Around Antigua, damage was minimal with only a few power cords down and the phone lines tied up. Down where the epicenter of the earthquake was, was another story. Buildings crumbled and around 50 people died with some injured and missing. This news was devastating to hear, but the government has reacted quickly and efficiently, sending in resources and paying for the burials of each person. After reading the news, it was said that this earthquake was the worst one that occurred in Guatemala since 1976 when about 23,000 people died. For 2 days after, there were still aftershocks that were felt by some people, but definitely not as strong. I'm just glad that all is well and we are all safe and sound
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