SAN JOS, Costa Rica, Nov 13, 2017 (BSS/AFP) – A strong
earthquake, measuring 6.5 according to a US seismological agency,
rocked Costa Rica late Sunday, but there were no immediate reports
of damage or casualties.
The quake occurred at 8:28 pm local (0228 GMT) on the Central
American country’s Pacific coast, at a depth of 20 kilometers (12
miles), close to the popular tourist beach town of Jaco.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami
alert. Several aftershocks were felt.
“We don’t have report of any tragic situations from the
recent earthquake,” the public security ministry said on Twitter.
In the inland capital San Jose, buildings swayed for a couple
of minutes. Local media reported that the quake was strongly felt
across much of the country.
One network, Channel 6, showed the studio of a sports program
that was live at the time, with the camera and the table shaking.
It also showed images of alarmed people running in a supermarket
as products fell to the ground.
While power was largely unaffected, there were reports of
some areas losing electricity and cellphone transmission.
Media in neighboring Panama and Nicaragua said the earthquake
was felt on their territories too, but no damage was detected.
Costa Rican officials urged citizens to avoid clogging the
emergency lines by not calling 911 unless it was to give
information about an urgent situation.
“We remind you to remain calm,” the presidency said on its
official Twitter feed.