Shallow M6.4 AFTERSHOCK hit in the North Pacific Ocean 123km from Tapachula (Mexico) on Friday Morning.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on July 17th, 2026. Last updated August 10th, 2026.

In the morning of Friday July 17th, 2026, a shallow and strong MAG-6.4 aftershock hit in the North Pacific Ocean 123 kilometer from Tapachula, Mexico. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 7.1 million people. Another country near the epicenter is Guatemala.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 97 kilometers (60 mi) off the coast of Mexico, 123 kilometer southwest of Tapachula in Chiapas. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Jul 17, 2026 09:20 (Mexico City Time) - Jul 17, 2026 15:20 Universal Time.
Location:	123 km SW of Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico. Coordinates 14°12'14"N 93°8'19"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.4 Detected by 93 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.032 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	V Moderate On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 7.1 million people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 7.1 million people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

An estimated 7,810 people were exposed to level V. At this level, moderate shaking and very light damage can be expected. The majority of people (roughly 4 million) live in an area exposed to level III, where weak shaking and probably no damage is expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. Roughly 1.4 million people were exposed to shaking in Mexico , with level V (moderate shaking, very light damage) as the highest recorded. Roughly 5.7 million people were exposed to shaking in Guatemala .

Nearby towns and cities

3 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Mexico and Guatemala . Futher away, this earthquake may also have been felt in El Salvador.

The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Tapachula in Chiapas, Mexico. Tapachula is located 123 kilometer (76 mi) southwest of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Tapachula is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Guatemala City is located 287 km to the east (intensity unknown, possibly low). Tuxtla is located 284 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low). Mixco is located 277 km to the east (intensity unknown, possibly low).

A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is V.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 2 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 2 people have reported shaking in 2 places in Guatemala.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• San Juan la Laguna, Sololá, Guatemala: 1 person.
• Santa Catarina Pinula, Guatemala, Guatemala: 1 person.

This is likely an aftershock

This earthquake is likely an aftershock of the MAG-7.3 earthquake that struck 31 mins earlier. That main earthquake hit 55 km (34 mi) north-east of the epicenter of this MAG-6.4 aftershock.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.

In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.

Earthquakes like this are common in the region

Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. In total, 8 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.4 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every year.

Low tsunami risk

Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Sources

Last updated 10/08/26 01:38 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000t1cc
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260717_0000259
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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