Costa Rica Hit By 7.6 Earthquake, Tsunami Warning Issued
By VOA
A powerful earthquake has rocked Costa Rica, prompting officials to issue a tsunami warning for Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama.
The U.S. Geological Survey says Wednesday’s magnitude 7.6 earthquake was centered offshore, about 140 kilometers west of San Jose.
The group originally said the quake had a magnitude of 7.9.
There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries but the quake shook buildings and caused power outages in some areas.
The Associated Press says it caused landslides and destroyed homes in the town of Hojancha, near the epicenter.
Costa Rica has been rocked by a number of earthquakes over the past two decades.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake in 2009 killed 40 people, while a 7.6 quake in 1991 left 47 people dead and close to 7,500 homeless.
