|
Approximate epicenter and ruined convent (above) |
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| Date | July 29, 1773 |
|---|---|
| Magnitude | ~7.5 Mi |
| Depth | n/d |
| Epicenter | At or near Antigua Guatemala |
| Countries or regions | Guatemala |
| Casualties | about 500 - 600 fatalities immediately |
The 1773 Guatemala earthquake struck Guatemala on July 29, 1773 and had an estimated epicentral intensity magnitude of 7.5 Mi.[1] It was followed by numerous aftershocks which lasted until December 1773. The series of all these earthquakes is also referred to as the Santa Marta earthquake(s) as it had started on the feast day of Saint Martha. With an intensity of approximately MM VII to VIII,[1] the Santa Marta earthquakes destroyed much of Antigua Guatemala, at that time the colonial capital of Central America. About 500 - 600 people died immediately and at least another 600 died from starvation and disease as a result of the earthquake.[1]
Spanish authorities had already considered moving the capital to a safer area after the devastation of the 1717 earthquake and decided after the 1773 event not to rebuild the city again. Thus in 1776 the capital was moved to the new city of Guatemala of Asuncion, known today as today Guatemala City.[1]