Earthquake of magnitude 5.9 strikes off the coast of Puerto Rico

Earthquake of magnitude 5.9 strikes off the coast of Puerto Rico

Saturday's tremor follows hundreds of earthquakes and aftershocks for the US territory since Dec 28.

A collapsed structure lies after a previous 6.4 magnitude earthquake in the region. (AP pic)
BENGALURU:
An earthquake of magnitude 5.9 has struck 14 kilometers southeast of Guanica, Puerto Rico, the US Geological Survey said on Saturday.

The quake’s epicenter was southeast of Maria Antonia, on the island’s southwest coast, according to USGS.

The earthquake on Saturday follows hundreds of earthquakes and aftershocks for the US territory since Dec 28 that have caused structural damage to thousands of buildings and homes.

Tuesday’s 6.4 magnitude earthquake killed at least one person and knocked out power across the island.

The National Weather Service, in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s quake, said that there was no Tsunami threat.

Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority said after Saturday morning’s quake that just over 93% of customers still had power, and that it was working on restoring service to those without it.

There were no immediate reports of injuries on Saturday.

The recent earthquakes have added to Puerto Rico’s woes as it recovers from Hurricanes Maria and Irma in 2017, which killed about 3,000 people, and goes through a bankruptcy process.

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