Magnitude 7.0 offshore quake rattles El Salvador

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — A magnitude 7.0 earthquake rattled El Salvador’s Pacific coast Thursday, but the country’s civil defence agency said there were no immediate reports of damages or injuries.

Lina Pohl, the country’s environment minister, said there was a tsunami alert, with the possibility of waves 6 feet (3 metres) high along the coast. But authorities later lifted the alert.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of the 12:43 p.m. (1843 GMT) quake was about 92 miles (149 kilometres) south-southwest of the port of El Triunfo, El Salvador.

El Triunfo is located about 50 miles (80 kilometres) southeast of San Salvador, the capital, where the quake was felt strongly.

Nicaragua, meanwhile, was already under alert after Hurricane Otto made landfall on the country’s Caribbean coast.

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The Associated Press