COSTA RICA NEWS — A quake struck off the coast of Nicaragua and El Salvador late on Monday night rattling much of Central America. At least one person is reported to have died in the 7.3-magnitude quake when an electricity pole collapsed.
At first the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported the quake occurring at 21.51:38, 64km South of Intipuca, El Salvador, followed by another 7.4 jolt a minute later.
The USGS updated the info to show the quake hitting 67km West-South-West of Juquilillo, Nicaragua (12.576°N 88.046°W), at a depth of 40 km; and a magnitude of 7.3. Two more quakes followed, a 5.0 at 22:01, located 90 km West-South-West of Juquilillo, Nicaragua (12.379°N 88.196°W); and a 4.4 at 04:23 (Tuesday, October 14), 94 km West-South-West of Masachapa, Nicaragua (11.586°N 87.360°W).
The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning but lifted it minutes later. Locals said the quake was “strong when it started to rumble, and it would not stop”.
In Costa Rica, the quake was felt as a slight tremor, but a long one, lasting almost a full minute.
According to the Salvador press, the Laprensagrafica.com, emergency services in El Salvador said a number of homes near the coast had been damaged but that the country’s international airport was unaffected. Electricity was cut off in parts of the country and some roads were blocked by stone falls.
In Nicaragua, authorities issued a yellow alert for the Pacific coast, cancelled classes in schools in the region on Tuesday, both grade and high schools, and warned of possible aftershocks.
The Coordinadora de Comunicación y Ciudadanía del Gobierno, Rosario Murillo, said last night there were no reports of victims, however, up to ten homes were affected, reported Today Nicaragua.
Nicaragua’s Sistema Nacional de Prevención Atención y Mitigación de Desastres (Sinapred) two hours after the quake, at a press conference, a tsunami alert would be maintained in the coastal areas of León and Chinandega, cancelling the alert for Carazo, Managua and Rivas.
Twenty minutes earlier, at 21:31 a 4.5 quake shook the Pacific coast town of Quepos. And on Monday Morning, the Volcán Poás had an phreatic eruption of up to 250 metres (750 feet) high, spewing debris to the visitor area and parking lot, forcing the evacuation of visitors (mainly tourists) and the closure of the national park.
