An earthquake in Guatemala has killed three people.

The three women suffered a fatal heart attack, authorities said.

The quake shook the Central American country on Wednesday morning.

It had a magnitude of 6.2, according to the US earthquake observatory.

Guatemalan authorities said the earthquake was a magnitude 6.8, followed by a magnitude 4.8 aftershock.

Numerous houses were destroyed, roads were blocked by landslides.

Around 31,000 people were affected by power outages.

The center of the quake was 84 kilometers deep in the coastal district of Escuintla, less than 100 kilometers southwest of Guatemala City.

The tremors were also felt in El Salvador and southern Mexico.

Guatemala is frequently shaken by earthquakes.

Three tectonic plates meet in the region.

More than 125 earthquakes were recorded in Guatemala last year, but they did not cause any deaths or major damage.