El Salvador shaken by magnitude 7.0 offshore quake prompting tsunami warning
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake off El Salvador's Pacific Coast has prompted warnings of tsunami waves from US monitoring agencies.
The country's civil defence agency said there were no immediate reports of damages or injuries, but the country's environment minister said there was a tsunami alert. Waves reaching three metres high might hit the coastal areas within 300km of the quake's epicentre.
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The US Geological Survey said the epicentre of the earthquake, which occurred at 6.43pm UK time, was about 92 miles south-southwest of the port of El Triunfo, El Salvador. It was initially reported as a 7.2 earthquake.
The earthquake buffeted El Salvador and Nicaragua, just an hour after a powerful hurricane hit the Caribbean coast. The hurricane hit with winds of 110mph.
Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega, declared a state of emergency immediately. Thousands of people had already been evacuated from coastal areas into shelters.
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The earthquake was very shallow at 6.4 miles below the seabed, which would have amplified its effect.
#Otto is the southernmost landfalling #hurricane on record for Central America. Full details: https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb pic.twitter.com/ICibRZtSak
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) November 24, 2016