A magnitude 5.4 earthquake shook Costa Rica on Friday night.
According to initial data from the National Seismological Network (RSN), the earthquake occurred at 8:40 p.m. The tremor had an epicenter near Boruca, Buenos Aires, in the province of Puntarenas, and was felt through much of Costa Rica.
The National Emergency Commission (CNE) reported “no infrastructure damage” following the quake. Regional authorities said there was “material fall” on Route 2, a major route which connects San Jose to the Southern Zone, between Curré and Palmar.
President Carlos Alvarado said he is “in communication with the National Emergency Commission due to the strong tremor felt in the country.”
“I ask to be attentive to the official information and follow instructions from the authorities in the face of this event,” he wrote on social media.
En este momento me encuentro en comunicación con la @CNECostaRica debido al fuerte temblor sentido en el país. Pido estar atentos a la información oficial y seguir instrucciones de las autoridades frente al evento.
— Carlos Alvarado Quesada (@CarlosAlvQ) March 7, 2020
CNE shared photos of the effects of the tremor on a grocery store:
The Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI), based at Universidad Nacional (UNA), reported the earthquake as a magnitude of 5.84 — later revised to a 5.9.
RSN attributes the earthquake to “failure in the crust of the Caribbean plate.”
CNE says Costa Rica averages 350 earthquakes each month — or about 12 each day — thought most are imperceptible.
This is a developing story and will be updated. It was last updated at 9:33 p.m.
