A STRONG, MAGNITUDE-7.3 earthquake struck off the coast of El Salvador followed an hour later by a magnitude-5.4 aftershock, authorities said early today. There were no immediate reports of damages or injuries.
A tsunami warning was put into effect for Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama and Mexico after the quake struck at 10:37pm local time (5:37am Irish time). The warning was later rescinded.
David Walsh, an oceanographer with the Pacific Tsunami Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, said a minor 4-inch tsunami was registered off Acajutla, El Salvador.
The quake struck 86 miles south-west of San Miguel, the US Geological Survey reported on its web site, taking place at a depth of 32.9 miles. The second quake registered about an hour later in the same area at a depth of 35.9 miles.
Alfonso Lara, a technician with El Salvador’s Civil Protection agency said authorities were alerted to the threat of a tsunami. “We are doing a general monitoring of the entire coast through our technicians and representatives,” he said.
- Diego Mendez
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