An 6.1 earthquake shook Nicaragua last night caused panic amongst the population and damages to some homes. The United States Geological Service registered the earthquake’s epicenter 17 km east of Puerto Morazán in Chinandega, close to the border of Honduras. It was felt both in Honduras and El Salvador.
“The earthquake was felt practically throughout the country (..) it was a huge earthquake, unusually strong”, declared the spokesperson of the president of Nicaragua, the first lady Rosario Murillo, to media officials.
“There was a lot of nervousness and many worried people”, she added. The Nicaraguan Institute of Earth Studies (INETER) reported that the earthquake was followed by another smaller 4.5 earthquake.
INETER said that the strong earthquake had its epicenter 22 km Northeast from San Cristóbal Volcano, in Chinandega, with a depth of 2.3 km. The second occurred 14 minutes after 15 km Northeast of the same volcano with a depth of 7.2 km according to INETER.
Murillo said that the shake was followed by at least 80 small replicas that caused damage to some homes and that for the time being there haven’t been any reported human injuries.
The government boosted public aid as a way of helping and the united civil defense and national army suspended classes in the areas of Chinandega and León, in the West of the country.