November 7, 2012 Earthquake: San Marcos, San Cristobal Cochu, Guatemala

At least 48 people killed, 155 injured, 100 missing and dozens of buildings damaged in Quetzaltenango and San Marcos. Felt (VII) at Quetzaltenango; (VI) at Antigua Guatemala, Cahabon and Villa Nueva; (V) at Fraijanes, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Mixco and San Bartolome Milpas Altas; (IV) at Champerico, Coban, Panajachel, San Jose Pinula, Santa Catarina Pinula and Santiago Atitlan. Also felt (VI) at Tapachula; (IV) at Jalapa, Lazaro Cardenas, San Cristobal de Las Casas, Tuxtla Gutierrez and Villahermosa; (III) at Granjas Mexico and Mexico, Mexico. Felt (IV) at San Salvador and Antiguo Cuscatlan and (III) at Ilopango and Nueva San Salvador, El Salvador. Felt (III) at Belize City and Dangriga, Belize. Felt in many parts of Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua.

Tectonic Summary

The November 7, 2012 M 7.4 earthquake south of Champerico, Guatemala occurred as a result of thrust faulting on or near the subduction zone interface between the subducting Cocos plate and the overlying Caribbean and North America plates, near their triple junction. At the latitude of this earthquake, the Cocos plate moves north-northeast with respect to the Caribbean and North America plates at a velocity of approximately 70-80 mm/yr, and subducts beneath Central America at the Middle America Trench.

Over the past 40 years, the region within 250 km of the November 7 earthquake has experienced 50 earthquakes with M 6 or greater; two of these were larger than M 7. The first was a M 7.1 in December of 1983, in approximately the same location as the November 7 event, and resulted in no documented fatalities. The second had a magnitude of M 7.2, and struck a region just over 100 km to the northwest offshore Mexico in September 1993. There was one known fatality associated with the 1993 event. A M6.8 earthquake in October of 1979, 120 km to the east-southeast of the November 7 earthquake, resulted in 7 fatalities in Guatemala.

(above from reference #1053)

San Marcos, Guatemala - At least 52 are dead and dozens are missing in Guatemala Thursday, as residents huddled in the dark and frigid streets in fear of aftershocks. Others crowded inside its hospital, the only building left with electricity after the powerful earthquake [...] The quake caused terror over an unusually wide area, with damage reported in all but one of Guatemala's 22 states and shaking felt as far away as Mexico City, 600 miles to the northwest. It hit hardest in San Marcos, where more than 30 homes collapsed and many of the colorful adobe buildings in its center were either cracked or reduced to rubble, including the police station and the courthouse. The temblor tore a large gash in one of the streets. Hundreds of frightened townspeople stayed in the open, refusing to go back inside after more than five strong aftershocks shook the area. (reference #9985)

Authorities in Guatemala have lowered the death toll from last week's 7.4-magnitude earthquake to 42 from 52, after some people who had been reported dead were found alive. The head of the Central American country's disaster agency says some people in outlying regions were believed to have died Wednesday in their collapsed homes, but they were later found alive elsewhere. David de Leon says the government's final estimate on the quake's impact indicates that 10,330 homes were damaged. Of those, 2,769 will have to be totally or partially demolished. (reference #10021)

50 dead, 24 missing, 186 injured, 210m USD total damage (reference #13034)

52 dead, 155 injured, 210m USD economic loss (reference #13727)

44 dead, 178 injured, 210m USD total damage (reference #1250)