Guatemala: 4 earthquakes hit the country
Four earthquakes struck Guatemala Monday afternoon, killing at least three people, Reuters reports.
An initial earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 was followed for a 5.8 quake and two smaller ones, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicenters for the four earthquakes were east and northeast of Cuilapa, about 30 miles southeast of the capital, Guatemala City.
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The earthquakes hit southern Guatemala within a two-and-a-half-hour period, leading to the evacuation of about 400 people, Reuters states. The quakes cut electricity and telephone services to the area.
One person, a 38-year-old woman, died when her house collapsed, and two more died after a landslide buried their cars.
President Alvaro Colom urged the public to remain calm after the quakes, the Associated Press reports.
"There is no reason to think there will be anything bigger," he reported said.
People camped out in tents Monday night because their homes had been damaged or they feared more quakes.
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