Puerto Rico earthquake claims first victim and downs island’s electricity as tremors continue for second day
A MAN was killed in Puerto Rico after a wall seemingly fell on him when a 6.4-magnitude earthquake — followed by a massive aftershock — hit the U.S. territory on Tuesday.
The 77-year-old man was the first reported death in the natural disaster, which came a day after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck the island early Monday morning.
Mayita Meléndez, the mayor of Ponce, located near the epicenter of the quake, confirmed the man's death on Twitter.
At least eight people were also injured, the mayor told local WAPA television station.
The quake struck just before 4.30am south of the island at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
An aftershock with a 6.0-magnitude hit the same area hours later, officials said.
Sirens blared as a tsunami alert was issued for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, but was later canceled.
Albert Rodríguez, of Guánica, says there’s widespread damage in his neighborhood.
He told The Associated Press: “The road is cracked in the middle and it lifted up.”
Monday’s earthquake collapsed five homes in Guánica, a southwest coastal town, and damaged others. The quake was followed by a string of smaller temblors.
A natural wonder of Puerto Rico — the iconic stone arch, Punta Ventana — collapsed from the quake. It was a tourist hotspot in Guayanilla.
Since December 28, a series of earthquakes have shaken the island’s southern region, ranging from 4.7 to now 6.4 in magnitude.
Puerto Rico, home to around 3.2 million people, lies in a fault zone and the shallow quakes were occurring along three faults in Puerto Rico’s southwest region: Lajas Valley, Montalva Point and the Guayanilla Canyon.
The director of Puerto Rico’s Seismic Network, Victor Huerfano, has said the quakes overall come as the North American plate and the Caribbean plate squeezes Puerto Rico.
He added it’s not clear when the earthquakes would stop — or if bigger quakes would come.
The U.S.G.S. said Tuesday the region, which “has seen moderate seismicity,” has seen “hundreds of small earthquakes” in the past few weeks.
Their forecast predicts that during the next week, “there is a 3% chance of one or more aftershocks that are larger than magnitude 6.4” and said smaller earthquakes with “with 2 to 550 magnitude 3 or higher aftershocks” are likely.
Locals are concerned they’re due for the “biggest quake in a century,” following a 1918 quake that killed 116 people.
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The 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit the territory’s northwestern coast more than a century ago and unleashed a tsunami with waves up to 20 feet high, according to the Puerto Rico Seismic Network.
Aftershocks were apparently felt “for up to nine months” following the quake — and one that happened less than two weeks later “was strong enough to knock down more buildings.”
Now, more than 100 years later, locals fear they’re overdue for an historic quake.