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World|life|January 11, 2018 / 01:20 PM
Magnitude 7.6 earthquake triggers tsunami fears in Caribbean

AKIPRESS.COM - A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between the coast of Honduras and the Cayman Islands on Tuesday night, shaking the mainland and causing officials to warn people around the region to be alert to the threat of possible tsunami surges, NYPost reported.

There were no early reports of serious damage on land. Officials in Honduras said shaking was felt across much of the Central American nation and there were some reports of cracks in homes in Colon and Atlantida provinces along the northern coast and Olancho in eastern Honduras.

Tsunami warning centers said no tsunami waves had been confirmed but issued advisories stressing that people in Puerto Rico, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Jamaica and other Caribbean islands as well as on the coasts of Mexico and Central America should be aware of the tsunami danger. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said sea levels could rise from a foot to 3 feet (0.3 to 1 meter) above normal.

The US Geological Survey measured the quake at a preliminary magnitude of 7.6. The tremor struck in the sea about 125 miles (201 kilometers) north-northeast of Barra Patuca, Honduras, and 188 miles (303 kilometers) southwest of George Town, Cayman Islands. The tremor occurred about 6 miles below the surface.

The northern coast of Honduras closest to the quake’s epicenter is sparsely populated, with much of it covered by nature reserves. The tremor was about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Honduras’ Swan Islands, which are unpopulated except for a small navy post.

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