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6.5-magnitude quake hits off Pacific coast of Nicaragua

16 June 2013 04:53 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. An earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale has struck off the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, APA reports quoting Press TV.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said on Saturday that the quake, which had a depth of 35.8 kilometers (22.3miles), struck about 50 kilometers (31 miles) west of the Nicaraguan beach town of Masachapa at 11:34 a.m. local time (1734 GMT).

"Thank God, so far we haven't heard of any damage," Nicaraguan government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo said in an interview with local television and radio stations.

The quake, which rocked the coastal cities and was felt in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua as well as neighboring El Salvador, was initially reported by the USGS as being magnitude 6.6.

The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a tsunami warning, saying, there was no need for any action.

"Based on all available data a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii," it said.

Nicaragua's seismological institute, which measured the quake’s strength as 6.6, also declared a tsunami alert as a precaution.

On December 23, 1972, 5,000 people were killed, and more than a quarter million were left homeless after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Managua.