[1] The focal mechanism and depth of the earthquake are consistent with shallow strike-slip faulting in the Caribbean plate, along the line of the active volcanic belt.

In Jerusalén, six people died and 95% of homes were damaged or destroyed, and 12 deaths occurred in San Cayetano Istepeque, where 90% of houses collapsed.

In Cojutepeque, 55 people died and 90% of homes were affected, while half of the houses in Santa Cruz Michapa were badly damaged.

In Cinquera, Cabañas, 20 homes collapsed and 75% of structures were damaged, while in Santa María Ostuma, La Paz, 95% of houses were destroyed.

[5] The earthquake exacerbated some of the landslides caused by the January event but also triggered new ones,[4] with one burying a school near Lake Ilopango, injuring several students.