Puerto Rico jolted by Magnitude 5.8 quake, damage reported
The Magnitude 5.8 tremor has caused some structural damage, and the collapse of an iconic seaside rock arch, though no deaths have been reported.
Puerto Rico was rattled by a strong earthquake Monday, with some structural damage reported.
The tremor, a Magnitude 5.8 earthquake, struck early Monday morning, at a relatively shallow depth of 6 km just off the island's south coast, though no tsunami was detected. Several aftershocks have occurred since then, the strongest registering Magnitude 4.9.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake could be part of a sequence, and warned people to be prepared for further tremors.
"More earthquakes than usual (called aftershocks) will continue to occur near the mainshock," the USGS says. "When there are more earthquakes, the chance of a large earthquake is greater which means that the chance of damage is greater."
No deaths have been reported on the island, which is a U.S. territory whose residents hold U.S. citizenship. There were, however, some small rockslides detected along some highways, and some homes that were cracked or otherwise damaged. At least one home collapsed altogether.
In a more symbolic blow, the iconic Punta Ventana arch on the island's south coast also collapsed, according to local reports.
Several thousands of power outages were reported in the wake of the quake, and it's not clear how long it will take to completely restore power.
The island is still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Maria, which devasted the island in September 2017. The death toll was estimated to be almost 3,000 people according to a survey the following year, and the storm was the costliest to ever strike the island.
