An early morning earthquake struck Puerto Rico, prompting landslides, power outages, and fear.
The 5.8-magnitude temblor hit south of the island at 6:32 a.m. on Monday, according to the Associated Press. The quake was the strongest in a string of smaller quakes that have plagued Puerto Rico in recent days. Since Dec. 28, more than 1,000 earthquakes, most of which were too small to feel, have been recorded in the area.
Angel Vazquez, emergency management director for the southern city of Ponce, said there were power outages across some regions of the island.
“This is one of the strongest quakes to date since it started shaking on Dec. 28,” Vazquez said. “It lasted a long time.”
So far, there are no reports of deaths, but the earthquake cracked some houses and caused the foundations of others to collapse. There were no concerns of a tsunami following the quake, which struck at a shallow depth of about 6 miles underground.
Dr. Sindia Alvarado, who lives in a southern coastal town, told the Associated Press that the quake scared her family.
“My entire family woke up screaming,” she said. “I thought the house was going to crack in half.”
