A 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked Guatemala, killing at least 48 people in two states.

The US Geological Survey says a strong earthquake has hit off the Pacific coast of Guatemala.

The death toll in Central America from landslides and flooding triggered by the year's first tropical storm surged to 99 as authorities struggled to clear roads of debris and reach cut-off communities.

Torrential rains brought by the first tropical storm of the 2010 season pounded Guatemala and southern Mexico, triggering deadly landslides and killing at least 12.