Earthquake

Jan. 3 (UPI) — A magnitude 6.5 earthquake was recorded at 7:58 a.m. local time near Rancho Viejo. Mexico on Friday morning and shook buildings in the resort city of Acapulco along the Pacific Coast.

The earthquake, which was linked to more than 500 aftershocks, occurred during Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s first press briefing of 2026, has caused at least two deaths, The Washington Post reported.

The earthquake’s epicenter was 2.5 miles north-northwest of Rancho Viejo and 21.75 miles beneath the Earth’s surface, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The USGS reported little to no landsliding was expected and little to no population exposure to landsliding hazards from the event.

Some liquefaction is estimated with limited exposure to local populations, but some ground failure might still occur, according to the USGS.

Rancho Viejo is about 6 miles east of Acapulco in southern central Mexico, and strong shaking was reported in both locales, with some movement also felt 235 miles to the north in Mexico City.

No tsunami warnings were issued, and none occurred, although aftershocks are anticipated and could occur days or possibly weeks afterward and be of a similar magnitude, according to The New York Times.

Dec. 27 (UPI) — A 6.6-magnitude earthquake was recorded off Taiwan’s northeastern coast on Saturday night, but no injuries or significant damage were reported.

The earthquake struck offshore at 11:05 p.m. local time and was located 20 miles east of Yilan County Hall.

The epicenter was 45 miles beneath the Earth’s surface, which largely protected Taiwan against harm and helped to prevent a tsunami warning.

The earthquake was felt in 17 of Taiwan’s 22 counties, which created a seismic intensity of 4 on the island’s 7-point scale.

Six of Taiwan High Speed Rail’s trains temporarily stopped upon detecting seismic alerts near Nangang and Yunlin.

Metro rail services in Taipei and Taichung reduced their respective speeds for a short time before resuming normal speeds late Saturday night.

More than 3,000 homes in Yilan lost power for a short period, but it was restored.

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the earthquake as magnitude 6.6, but Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration reported it as magnitude 7.0.

Taiwan is located in an active seismic zone and on Wednesday recorded a 6.1-magnitude earthquake that impacted the coastal county of Taitung in the southeastern part of the island.

That earthquake also shook buildings in the capital city of Taipei.