A pair of strong earthquakes shook Puerto Rico early Tuesday morning, damaging buildings, knocking out power and rattling nerves of residents after another strong earthquake less than 24 hours ago.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the magnitude 6.4 quake struck just before 4:30 a.m. local time, centered just off the coast of southwest Puerto Rico about 8 miles west-southwest of Ponce, Puerto Rico’s second largest city.
Video showed buildings collapsed and other buildings with outer walls damaged in Guayanilla, just north of the epicenter. Damage was also reported in Ponce, and one home in the village of Yauco collapsed, crushing a car.
Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority, PREPA, confirmed damage to the Central Costa Sur power station, and was inspecting substations across the rest of the island. The island was plunged into blackout as an automated protective feature after the Tuesday morning quake.
No immediate reports of deaths were received as of early Tuesday morning.
Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced closed government offices Tuesday.
The Puerto Rico Seismic Network initially issued a tsunami warning for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, but that was later cancelled. Residents were seen fleeing to higher ground after the warning was issued. NOAA’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said small tsunami waves of 1 to 2 inches were observed.
The quake was followed 10 minutes later by another magnitude 5.6 temblor, then four more aftershocks.
Early Monday morning, a magnitude 5.8 quake damaged buildings and triggered landslides.
A swarm of four dozen quakes have been recorded in a small area near or off the coast of southwest Puerto Rico since Dec. 28, according to the USGS.
This earthquake swarm was occurring along three faults in Puerto Rico’s southwest region: Lajas Valley, Montalva Point and the Guayanilla Canyon, Victor Huerfano, director of Puerto Rico’s Seismic Network, told the Associated Press.
He said the quakes overall come as the North American plate and the Caribbean plate squeeze Puerto Rico.
