A strong magnitude-6.0 earthquake rattled most people out of bed early Monday in Costa Rica, but no injuries or serious damage were reported.
The quake struck at 3:41 a.m. some 20 kilometers southwest of Sixaola, Limón, just across the border in Panama, the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (Ovsicori) reported. The University of Costa Rica’s National Seismological Network (RSN) reported the quake as a magnitude-5.6.
Residents of the Caribbean province of Limón reported various objects fell from walls in homes and businesses, and police were checking infrastructure in the area.
RSN experts said they received reports from people who felt the quake as “very strong” in the Central Valley, the northern canton of San Carlos, Alajuela, and even in the southern Pacific communities of Pérez Zeledón and Quepos. Seconds later hundreds of Ticos took to Twitter to share their reactions.
“Revenge for Cartago,” one Costa Rican tweeted, a reference to Saturday night’s victory of Heredia over Cartago in the national football championship. Cartago, which has not won a championship since 1940, was defeated by a single goal in an overtime shootout.
“Earthquake over, go back to bed instead of tweeting,” another resident wrote.
Ovsicori said that by 7 a.m. they had registered some 30 aftershocks of magnitudes ranging from 2-3, most too minor to be felt.
