4.6-magnitude earthquake rattles Puerto Rico

4.6-magnitude earthquake rattles Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN — A 4.6 magnitude earthquake struck near Puerto Rico around last night, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake hit at 11:07 p.m. Tuesday about 5.59 miles (9 kilometers) southeast of Guanica at a depth of 62.13 miles (10 kilometers). It was followed by several aftershocks, including a magnitude 5.0 temblor minutes later.

A 5.9 earthquake rattled Guanica on January 11, 2020 and was felt across the U.S. territory and was the latest in a series of tremors that began in late December of 2019 and damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes.

4.6-magnitude earthquake rattles Puerto Rico
Damage from a 6.4-magnitude earthquake is seen in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, on January 8, 2020. (Direct Relief photo)

Angel Vzquez, who oversees the emergency management agency in Ponce, said a house collapsed in the town of Lajas. The house was empty and slated for demolition, according to Kiara Hernndez, spokeswoman for Puerto Ricos Department of Public Security.

Vctor Hurfano, director of Puerto Ricos Seismic Network, told The Associated Press that the tremor is an aftershock related to the 6.4-magnitude quake that struck in early January 2021, killing at least one person and causing millions of dollars in damage.

4.6-magnitude earthquake rattles Puerto Rico