7.6-magnitude earthquake in Caribbean
Tsunami alerts cancelled after 7.6-magnitude earthquake in Caribbean
Tsunami warnings issued after a powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake rocked the Caribbean Sea have been cancelled, the US Geological Survey (USGS) has said.
Officials say the earthquake’s epicentre was about 20 miles (32.1km) north of Honduras and 130 miles (209.2km) south-west of the Cayman Islands when it struck on Saturday evening local time.
The US Tsunami Warning System had initially issued warnings to more than a dozen of countries – including waves of up to three metres (10ft). But, it later said the threat had passed.
Advisories were also issued by the Tsunami Warning System for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands following the earthquake – which were both also later cancelled.
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The Cayman Islands government had warned residents of coastal areas to move inland in a message on its website.
It is unclear if there has been any movement or damage on land.
The quake was the biggest to hit the region since 2021, when a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
About three hours after the earthquake, US authorities warned that “minor sea level fluctuations” of up to 30cm (11.8 inches) could still occur, but that any serious threat had passed.
The USGS said large earthquakes at this location of the plate boundary are not unexpected.
In 2018 a 7.5-magnitude earthquake occurred nearby, causing some damage and a small tsunami, it said.
“Luckily, the remote location of these earthquakes limits the potential for significant damage due to shaking,” it added.
Separately, the US National Tsunami Warning Centre said there are no alerts for the mainland US coast.
BBC
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