A strong earthquake shakes Mexico's Independence Monument, hitting roads and hospitals

MEXICO CITY — A powerful earthquake shook southern Mexico Friday morning, damaging roads and hospitals and briefly disrupting President Claudia Sheinbaum's first news conference of the new year.

State Governor Evelyn Salgado said that a 50-year-old woman died in the southwestern state of Guerrero when her house collapsed due to earthquakes. Local media also reported that a 67-year-old man died in Mexico City while descending the stairs while trying to evacuate his building.

When the quake struck the capital, 180 miles from the epicenter, the city's famous Angel of Independence monument, a golden angel atop a 45-metre-tall column in a roundabout on one of the capital's busiest roads, swayed from side to side.

The seismic warning just before 8 a.m. local time sent crowds evacuating into the streets, many wearing towels or pajamas and cuddling their anxious pets.

The 6.5-magnitude quake occurred near the Pacific coast of Guerrero at a depth of 22 miles, according to the US Geological Survey.

As of midday, Mexico's seismic service recorded 420 aftershocks, the strongest of which reached a magnitude of 4.7.

Authorities reported landslides on highways, gas leaks, and damage to homes, public buildings and hospitals throughout Guerrero state.

The southwestern state is home to Acapulco and other beach resort areas, which are a major draw for holidaymakers. Acapulco, the state's largest city, is still recovering from a Category 5 hurricane that devastated the area in 2023.

The earthquake also provided drama for Sheinbaum's daily news conference.

A 6.5-magnitude earthquake has struck the Mexican state of Guerrero, disrupting President Claudia Sheinbaum's morning news conference in Mexico City and causing evacuations https://t.co/l4JCHXqRhwpic.twitter.com/1SaAxJdVKd

– Reuters (@Reuters) January 2, 2026

Sheinbaum was speaking at the National Palace in Mexico City when earthquake alerts went off. She indicated that the ground was shaking beneath her before she quietly evacuated the place with the journalists. The press conference resumed shortly after.

In Mexico City, videos shared online showed cracks inside homes, high-rise buildings shaking against each other, and a traffic light colliding with the road below. The authorities did not immediately report any serious damage.

The Mexican Aviation Authority said the international airports in Mexico City and Acapulco suffered some minor damage, but said it did not affect operations.

The main points of this article were created with the help of extensive language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article itself is written by a human only.

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