7.4 magnitute earthquake off El Salvador coast: USGS

The powerful earthquake prompted a tsunami warning

Last updated: September 16, 2018 | 00:54

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SAN SALVADOR: A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.4 struck in the Pacific off El Salvador late Monday, prompting a tsunami warning, US government agencies said.

The quake hit 170 kilometers southeast of the capital San Salvador, at a depth of 70 kilometers, the USGS said.

The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for coasts located within 300 kilometres of the epicenter.

The shaking of the earth was felt as far as the capital of Nicaragua, Managua, and other cities, but no immediate injuries or damage were reported, officials said.

Electricity and cell phone service in some areas were cut off.

View of damage at a house after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coast of El Salvador, 13 October 2014. The earthquake affected El Salvador and other Central American countries.

Children sit inside an evacuation center in Managua after an earthquake shook Nicaragua October 13, 2014. A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck late on Monday off the coast of El Salvador and Nicaragua and was felt across Central America, killing at least one person, but there were no immediate reports of major damage. The quake struck 42 miles (67 km) west-southwest of Jiquilillo in Nicaragua and 174 km southeast of San Salvador, the US Geological Survey said. It said the quake hit at a depth of about 25 miles (40 km).

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