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Magnitude 6.8 earthquake hits off Pacific Coast of Guatemala

GUATEMALA (CNN) — A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Thursday off Guatemala’s Pacific coast, the US Geological Survey reported, causing some minor da...
Guatemala Earthquake

GUATEMALA (CNN) — A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Thursday off Guatemala’s Pacific coast, the US Geological Survey reported, causing some minor damage.

The quake was recorded at about 24 miles (38 kilometers) from the city of Puerto San Jose, according to the USGS.

One of the sites that suffered some damage was Antigua Guatemala, the onetime colonial capital of Guatemala and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, according to the country’s emergency management system (CONRED).

Antigua Guatemala was founded in 1527 and survived many natural disasters, until an earthquake destroyed most of the city in 1773, according to UNESCO. The capital was moved to present-day Guatemala City, but the monuments and architecture of the old capital earned it the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation in 1979.

Photos shared by emergency responders Thursday showed damage to the facade of some buildings and debris on some streets of Antigua Guatemala.

A spokesman for CONRED says the agency continues to monitor for damage, and said there are no early reports of injuries.

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