Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo evacuated the National Palace on Friday, along with journalists and federal government employees, after the seismic alert was activated during her morning press conference due to a 6.5 magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale with its epicenter in the south of the country.
The alert sounded while the president was holding her conference from the Treasury Room, forcing her to interrupt the event and immediately implement the security protocol.
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According to preliminary information, the 6.5 magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale had its epicenter in the state of Guerrero, in the south of the country, one of the regions with the highest seismic activity in Mexico.
The earthquake occurred at 7:58 a.m. local time, according to the National Seismological Service (SSN). The president led the orderly evacuation of the historic building, accompanied by reporters covering the press conference and federal government personnel.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was evacuated, along with the journalists present during her first morning press conference on January 02, 2026, due to a 6.5-magnitude earthquake that was felt in the country’s capital. pic.twitter.com/wZ3GcfZkjy
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) January 2, 2026
The president of Mexico after the earthquake: “There are no deaths.”
At the close of her press conference, the Mexican leader specified that as of 9:00 a.m. local time, small aftershocks had been recorded, the largest measuring 4.2 in magnitude in Mexico City.
“So far, no damage has been reported, nor, fortunately, any deaths,” she clarified.
Mexico and earthquakes
Mexico is located in a highly seismic zone due to the interaction of several tectonic plates, so activating the seismic alert is a common prevention mechanism, especially in the nation’s capital.
Although the earthquake’s epicenter was off the coast of the southern state of Guerrero, in the Pacific, its effects were felt in several cities across the country, including Mexico City.
According to the National Seismological Service (SSN), the earthquake was considered “severe,” and they reported that monitoring continues in the areas where it was felt.
Earthquake Impact in Mexico
Evelyn Salgado, governor of Guerrero, stated that after the earthquake, state Civil Protection personnel were touring and inspecting different locations, in coordination with municipal authorities, to rule out any risk to the population following the earthquake, which had its epicenter in the municipality of San Marcos.
“So far, only minor damage has been reported,” she specified.
Meanwhile, the governor of the southern state of Veracruz, Rocío Nahle, reported via her social media that the earthquake was felt strongly in several areas of the state and that state Civil Protection is assessing the situation.
While the state Civil Protection coordination specified that the earthquake was felt in the regions of Tres Valles, Córdoba, Los Tuxtlas, Xalapa, Orizaba, Huatusco, and Coatzacoalcos.
“At the moment, no damage to strategic infrastructure has been reported, and task forces continue to conduct coordinated verification patrols,” they stated.
Mexico records 420 aftershocks following earthquake
The National Seismological Service (SSN) of Mexico has recorded 420 aftershocks following the 6.5 magnitude earthquake that occurred Friday morning with its epicenter in the southern state of Guerrero, which, according to authorities, has not caused major damage.
According to municipal, state, and National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC) reports, the earthquake was felt in the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Morelos, Puebla, Jalisco, Tabasco, Colima, and Hidalgo, although with minor damage.
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