Strong earthquake hits off El Salvador coast
(AP)—A strong magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck off the coast of El Salvador and a tsunami warning was issued but there were no immediate reports of damages or injuries, authorities said early Monday.
A tsunami warning was in effect for Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama and Mexico after the quake struck at 10:37 p.m. Sunday. But David Walsh, an oceanographer with the Pacific Tsunami Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, said a minor, 20-centimeter (7.8-inch) swell was registered off Acajutla, El Salvador.
The quake was located 86 miles (138 kilometers) south-southwest of San Miguel, the U.S. Geological Survey reported on its web site. The temblor took place at a depth of 32.9 miles (53 kilometers).
Alfonso Lara of El Salvador's Civil Protection agency said authorities were alerted to the threat of a tsunami. "We are doing a general monitoring of the entire coast through our technicians and representatives," he said.
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