Two strong earthquakes have rocked Puerto Rico, but there have been no reports of injuries in the latest in a series of tremors that have struck U.S. territory since late December.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Two strong earthquakes rocked Puerto Rico on Friday, but there were no reports of injuries in the latest in a series of tremors that have struck U.S. territory since late December.
A magnitude 5.3 tremor struck just southwest of the island in the afternoon, the United States Geological Survey said, checking its power from an initial measurement of 5.5. It happened just a few hours after a magnitude 4.9 hit in the same region, causing small landslides and the collapse of an abandoned house weakened by previous earthquakes.
Both tremors were felt throughout Puerto Rico, which has experienced a series of earthquakes this year that have damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes. People in various offices in the capital of San Juan and elsewhere evacuated as a precaution.
Víctor Huérfano, director of the Puerto Rico Seismic Network, said both tremors were aftershocks related to a magnitude 6.4 earthquake in early January that caused at least one death and caused millions of dollars in damage. He said an even stronger earthquake could still occur.
“This is unpredictable,” said Orphan. “The tectonic plates are settling.”
Ángel Vázquez, who oversees the emergency management agency in the city of Ponce, said the house that collapsed was in the town of Lajas. The structure was empty and scheduled to be demolished, said Kiara Hernández, a spokeswoman for the Puerto Rico Department of Public Security.
The United States Geological Survey said the morning earthquake struck three miles southeast of La Parguera, at a depth of 3.7 miles. The epicenter of the afternoon tremor was 9.5 kilometers (5.9 miles) south-southeast of La Parguera, at a depth of 3 kilometers (1.8 miles).
After the first tremor, Guánica Mayor Santos Seda said there were a couple of small landslides but that no one was in danger. He said crews were inspecting buildings that have been weakened by the recent series of earthquakes.
He said the tremor caused panic once again in his city and beyond.
“It reignites the fear of many people,” he said, adding that there are still three families who live in temporary and provisional structures because they are too afraid to return home.
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