Big earthquake in Guatemala

From CNN:

6.8 magnitude earthquake strikes off Guatemalan coast
A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Wednesday just off the Pacific coast of Guatemala, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Early reports indicated some homes were damaged and people may be missing, journalist Patzy Vazquez told CNN en Espa�ol.

Hugo Hernandez, the executive director of the National Coordination for Disaster, said there were no immediate reports of injuries, but all phone lines were down.

Officials were using radios to communicate, according to Benedicto Giron, a spokesman for the disaster coordination agency.

Authorities were evacuating high-rise buildings and homes that might be vulnerable to damage if there were aftershocks, but none had been reported to the USGS so far, the agency's Rafael Abreu told CNN.

The quake struck at 1:29 p.m. (3:29 p.m. ET), about 70 miles from the capital, Guatemala City.

The quake's intensity, according to the USGS, was such that it was also felt in El Salvador.

The quake's epicenter was about 40 miles below the Earth's surface, the USGS said. Earthquakes centered closer to the surface generally can cause more damage.

In this case, the quake's depth and distance from shore are likely to limit the extent of the damage, Abreu said. "Had it been closer to the surface, then you would expect, certainly, more critical effects," he said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said a Pacific-wide tsunami was not expected.

Fortunate that it was so deep. Not as much surface movement when it is 40 miles down.