Guatemala quake kills 48, leaves 23 missing

SAN MARCOS, Guatemala, Nov 7, 2012 (AFP) - A 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked southwestern Guatemala on Wednesday, killing 48 people and injuring another 150 while more were missing as homes crumbled.

The earthquake also rattled nerves in neighboring Mexico and El Salvador, sparking a tsunami alert on the Salvadoran coast and evacuations from offices, homes and schools as far north as Mexico City.

"We have to lament the death of 48 people, a figure that could rise because we still have 23 missing people," President Otto Perez said in the capital after visiting the disaster area. He had earlier reported 39 deaths.

Perez said 39 of the victims were in San Marcos department, located at the border with Mexico and some 250 kilometers (155 miles) west of Guatemala City. The nine others were in two other regions that are also majority Maya.