Significant M5.0 AFTERSHOCK struck on Friday Morning in the North Pacific Ocean 125km from Tapachula (Mexico).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on July 17th, 2026. Last updated August 8th, 2026.

In the morning of Friday July 17th, 2026, a significant Magnitude 5.0 aftershock hit in the North Pacific Ocean 125 kilometer from Tapachula, Mexico. Another nearby country is Guatemala.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 99 kilometers (62 mi) off the coast of Mexico, 125 kilometer southwest of Tapachula in Chiapas. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 35 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Jul 17, 2026 09:57 (Mexico City Time) - Jul 17, 2026 15:57 Universal Time.
Location:	125 km SW of Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico. Coordinates 14°11'31"N 93°9'11"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.0 Detected by 328 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.031 .
Depth:	35 km (22 mi) A quite shallow depth.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Nearby towns and cities

Mexico and Guatemala are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.

The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Tapachula in Chiapas, Mexico. Tapachula is located 125 kilometer (78 mi) southwest of the epicenter.

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Guatemala City is located 289 km to the east. Tuxtla is located 286 km to the north. Mixco is located 278 km to the east.

The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.

Overview of nearby places

This is likely an aftershock

Approximately 1 hr before this earthquake hit, a larger 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck 57 km (35 mi) north-east of this one. For that reason, we classify the Mag. 5.0 earthquake as an aftershock.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

Earthquakes like this happen often in the region

Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. In total, 204 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5 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 18 days.

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 08/08/26 01:28 (). 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 us7000t1dv
2. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
3. Google Maps: Static API
4. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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