Long Tremor Shakes Central Valley, Other Parts of Costa Rica Friday Night

A 5.9 tremor shook nearly all regions of Costa Rica on Friday night at 7:54 p.m.

The tremor struck 41 kilometers northwest of San José near Zarcero in north-central Costa Rica at a depth of 98 kilometers below the earth’s surface, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Residents in the Central Valley, north-central Costa Rica, Guanacaste, northwest of San José, and in Nicaragua reported that the seismic activity was “extremely strong” and said that tremors lasted between 30 and 40 seconds.

As of 8:35, officials from the Red Cross and the National Emergency Commission (CNE) had only received reports of fallen objects in the Central Valley. As of 8:35 p.m., no injuries or serious damages had been reported.

The Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI) recorded the tremor struck nine kilometers northeast of Zarcero at 100 kilometers below the earth’s surface and with a magnitude of 5.5.

Juan Segura, chief seismologist of the OVSICORI, said that aftershocks are “very possible” through Friday night.

mmcdonald@ticotimes.net

 
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