Magnitude 6.0 Quake Rattles El Salvador Coast
Powerful tremor hits Pacific, no damage reported
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the Pacific Ocean off the coasts of El Salvador and Guatemala early Saturday, August 23, at 4:14 AM local time, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The shallow quake, at a depth of 10 kilometers, had its epicenter 81 km southwest of Acajutla, El Salvador’s key commercial port, and 107 km south-southeast of Puerto San Jose, Guatemala’s largest Pacific coastal town.
No immediate reports of damage or casualties have emerged from the affected regions, which include areas popular with cruise ships and fishing communities. The USGS and local authorities are monitoring for aftershocks, with El Salvador’s Civil Protection Agency urging coastal residents to stay vigilant.
Social media posts from Acajutla described brief but intense shaking, though no structural damage was noted. The region’s seismic activity, tied to the Cocos Plate’s subduction, frequently triggers such events, but Saturday’s quake has heightened local alertness.
Also Read: Mass Evacuations Across Pacific Despite Small Tsunami Waves
