7.6 magnitude earthquake hits Caribbean Islands, Tsunami warnings issued

New Delhi : An earthquake of 7.6 magnitude struck Caribbean Islands on Tuesday, sparking a tsunami warning for the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Many house windows were reported shattered with the impact of the earthquake that struck at 0251 GMT roughly 519 kilometres to the east.

No loss of life has been reported so far.

The US Geological Survey said the quake, initially reported as a magnitude 7.8, was centered 202 kilometres northeast of Barra Patuca in Honduras and 307 kilometres southwest of George Town in the Cayman Islands.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued Tsunami warnings for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands with possible waves up to 1 meter (3 feet) above tide level.

The USGS’s PAGER algorithm assigned the event a “green alert,” meaning a low likelihood of casualties and damage.

“Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though resistant structures exist,” it said.