Guatemala hit by quake, at least 48 killed

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked Guatemala on Wednesday, killing at least 48 people in two provinces as it toppled thick adobe walls, shook huge landslides down onto highways, and sent terrified villagers streaming into the streets of this idyllic mountain town near the border with Mexico. One hundred people were missing, and hundreds were injured.

The quake, which hit at 10:35 am in the midst of the work day, caused terror over an unusually wide area, with damage reported in all but one of Guatemala's 22 states and shaking felt as far away as Mexico City, 600 miles (965 kilometers) to the northwest.

President Otto Perez Molina said at a news conference that 40 people died in the province of San Marcos and eight more were killed in the neighboring province of Quetzaltenango.

San Marcos, where more than 30 homes collapsed, bore the brunt of the temblor's fury.