Laura Gamba Fadul
07 January 2022•Update: 07 January 2022
BOGOTA, Colombia
A powerful earthquake that struck Nicaragua on Thursday morning was also felt in the neighboring countries of El Salvador and Costa Rica.
The 6.1 magnitude earthquake shook the capital Managua and other cities in Nicaragua's Pacific zone, with the epicenter 60 kilometers (37 miles) southeast of Managua, the Environment Ministry reported.
"Earthquake magnitude 6.1 off the coast of Nicaragua," the ministry said on Twitter.
The US Geological Survey said the tremor hit 59 km (37 mi) south of the coastal city of Corinto at a depth of 27.5 km (17 miles).
Although in Managua people left their homes and workers left government buildings and the international airport was evacuated, there are no reports of victims or damage.
Speaking on local radio, Vice President and first lady Rosario Murillo said the country has experience handling such events.
"We all know what to do, we have practiced during the four exercises we do year after year, we have learned to protect ourselves," she said.
Three strong earthquakes shook the country’s Pacific coast last November.
Temblors are common in Nicaragua. In 1972, one of the deadliest quakes to hit the country claimed at least 10,000 lives.
The entire west coast of the American continent is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, where many earthquakes occur.
