7.4 Quake Hits Off Guatemala, 39 Dead

At least 39 people died in Guatemala today after a mighty 7.4-magnitude quake struck just off the coast. President Otto Perez Molina declared a state of emergency, urging people to evacuate tall buildings, the BBC reports. The quake hit about 15 miles southwest of Champerico at a depth of about 26 miles, but buildings shook as far away as Mexico City, and one in San Salvador actually toppled over, Reuters reports.

"It was really big, I felt quite nauseous," says one woman who was in a 10th-floor office in Guatemala City. Landslides have buried a number of roads, and it may be 24 hours before traffic is moving freely again. The US Pacific Tsunami Center said there was no danger of a big tsunami, but warned that a localized one was still possible. (More earthquake stories.)