A magnitude-6.9 earthquake on the Pacific Coast rocked a wide area in southern Mexico and Central America early Monday morning, causing at least two deaths and damage to dozens of homes in Guatemala.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake hit at about 7:23 a.m. ET, just a mile from the town of Puerto Madero, which is near the Guatemala border, The Associated Press reported.

In addition to the fatalities, a dozen people were hospitalized, and 50 houses were evacuated in the region, said Sergio Vasquez, a spokesman for fire services, to Reuters.

"This quake was pretty strong. There are houses destroyed," Gov. Luis Rivera of San Marcos region said to Reuters. Back in 2012, 48 people died when the area was hit by a 7.4-magnitude earthquake.

Firefighter spokesman Raul Hernandez said at least two people were killed in their homes when the walls collapsed in the Guatemalan town of San Marcos. Hernandez added that there were reports of 30 houses damaged and toppled utility poles in the region.

There were also reports of power outages and rock slides on some roadways in Guatemala. Guatemalan newspaper Prensa Libre published photos showing buildings in San Marcos that were split by the earthquake, while one apparently suffered from a partial collapse.

In the city of Tapachula, near the epicenter, a witness, Omar Santos, said, "Buildings were moving, windows broke in some houses and businesses, and people ran through the streets in the dark."

Local Mexican media outlets reported the quake was felt strongly in two particular Mexican states, Chiapas and Tabasco.

"I thought the house was going to collapse," said Claudia Gonzales, a 32-year-old mother who was forced to run into the street with her 1-year-old daughter in Comitan, a town in Chiapas.

According to reports, the quake was centered 37 miles below the surface.