A earthquake caused panic today in Guatemala and El Salvador, as well as in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, according to dpa. No damage was reported in any of the three countries, but people - still in shock by the devastation of Haiti in the wake of Tuesday's quake - poured out onto the streets for fear that their homes might collapse. The quake took place at 9:40 am (1440 GMT) and its epicentre was located in the Caribbean, 103.3 kilometres off the Guatemalan coastal province of Santa Rosa. Measurements of the quake's intensity varied across countries. Salvadoran authorities and the US Geological Survey (USGS) put it at 6.0 on the Richter scale, while Guatemalan authorities measured 5.4. Mexican authorities said it reached 5.6 on the Richter scale. "Emergency staircases filled up. Everyone got down to the building's lobby," one female professional said at the building known as the World Trade Centre in San Salvador, in the exclusive neighbourhood of Colonia Escalon. Beyond events in Haiti, Salvadorans still have vivid memories of the quakes that devastated its territory in January and February 2001.
