6.5-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Puerto Rico

WASHINGTON (sipirok.org) - A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.5 on the Richter scale struck Monday off the northern coast of Puerto Rico and could trigger a local tsunami, said the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

It said the quake, initially reported a magnitude 6.4, was very shallow, at a depth of 17.7 miles (27 kilometers) beneath the ocean floor. It occurred at 12:01 local time, 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of the town of Hatillo.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake could trigger local tsunamis.

"There is a small possibility of a local tsunami that could affect beaches located usually no more than a hundred kilometers (63 miles) from the epicenter," the center said a tsunami advisory.

There are no immediate reports of any damage material and human casualties.

Sunday marked the fourth anniversary of devastating earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale around Haiti that killed more than 200,000 people and left 1.5 million people homeless, Reuters reported.

6.5-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Puerto Rico 2014-01-13T01:48:00-08:00 Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: Andri Michael