A moderate earthquake struck off the coast of El Salvador on Saturday evening, sending tremors through several areas but leaving no immediate reports of injuries or structural damage.
The quake registered at magnitude 5.3 according to El Salvador’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN), with its epicenter located about 33 kilometers south of Puerto El Triunfo in the Usulután department. It occurred at 7:49 p.m. local time, at a depth of 54 kilometers in the Pacific Ocean. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the event at 4.9 magnitude, with a depth of 65.9 kilometers and an epicenter 35 kilometers south-southwest of the same port town.
Residents in San Salvador, Usulután, and nearby areas felt the shaking, as captured by security cameras in the capital showing light swaying in public spaces like the Alameda Manuel Enrique Araujo. Local authorities activated monitoring teams, but officials confirmed no emergencies arose. The MARN stated no tsunami threat existed, given the quake’s depth and offshore position, roughly 102 kilometers southeast of San Salvador.
Civil protection agencies urged people to stay calm and review safety plans, though no evacuations took place. Reports from the scene indicated the tremor lasted several seconds, strong enough to rattle windows and prompt some to step outside, but it faded without incident.
El Salvador sits in a seismically active zone where the Cocos and Caribbean tectonic plates meet, leading to regular earthquakes. This event follows a pattern of offshore quakes that often affect the Pacific coast but rarely cause widespread issues when at intermediate depths.
As of Sunday morning, monitoring continued with no aftershocks reported above magnitude 3.0. Authorities advised checking official channels for updates, emphasizing preparedness in a region prone to such activity.
