According to the
U.S. Geological Survey, the Magnitude 5.4 earthquake hit about 6.0 kilometers (3.7 miles) south of Tallaboa, Puerto Rico, and was felt in nearby towns, including Guánica and Guayanilla, where hundreds of homes were destroyed by a quake in early January that killed one person.
The earthquake hit even as Puerto Ricans remain at home under a nearly two-month lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. A number of people are still staying in shelters from previous quakes earlier this year. There were no reports of major damages.
The quake did cause a road to collapse on Puerto Rico's southern coast. The USGS is saying Saturday morning's 7:15 a.m. earthquake was an aftershock of a 6.4 magnitude quake in the same area that killed at least one person in January. There have been at least seven aftershocks - ranging from 2.6 to 4.9 magnitude.
Ponce Mayor María Meléndez tweeted images of the damages Saturday morning while also urging people to "avoid going to the city center until we make sure everyone is safe."
Guanica Mayor Santos Seda tells the AP that no major damage has been reported so far. "Thank God everyone is OK," he says. "The infrastructure is already weak." He says between five to 10 people remain in a shelter since the 6.4 magnitude quake that hit in January.
