Death toll from dozens of earthquakes and aftershocks in Guatemala rises to 4

Neighbours remain outside their homes in Palin, Guatemala, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, after a series of earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 3.0 to 5.6, according to authorities. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

GUATEMALA CITY -- Authorities on Wednesday confirmed a fourth death in Guatemala a day after dozens of earthquakes shook the country, leaving crumbled walls and roads blocked by landslides.

More than 150 earthquakes and aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 3.0 to 5.7 have been reported since Tuesday afternoon.

President Bernardo Arevalo said on social media that the body of a woman who had been buried by debris south of Guatemala’s capital had been recovered along with the body of her dog. He expressed his condolences to the victims’ families, and was visiting a town near the epicenter.

Volunteer firefighters confirmed Wednesday that a 13-year-old boy’s body had been recovered in the Sacatepequez department.

The other two victims were men killed by falling rocks while traveling in a truck on a road in the department of Escuintla, firefighters said.

In the affected areas, families slept overnight in the streets outside their homes as aftershocks continued.

In Palin, southwest of the capital, Elvia Morataya was among those who slept outside overnight with her family. “From the foundation on up, it was damaged,” she said of her home. “You can’t be in there.”

The tremors resulted in the evacuation of buildings, landslides and minor property damage, officials said, adding they were felt as far away as El Salvador.

Arevalo said Tuesday that the main epicenter of the quakes was in the department of Sacatepequez, with aftershocks in the regions of Escuintla and Guatemala department.