View of a damaged wall at the San Juan Obispo church, after the 6.2 earthquake that struck the area, in Amatitlán, 35 km south of Guatemala City, on February 16, 2022. AFP FILE PHOTO
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — A powerful 6.5-magnitude earthquake in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of El Salvador shook much of Central America from Nicaragua to Guatemala on Tuesday, sending residents of some cities onto the streets.
The United States Geological Survey reported that the epicenter was located 43 kilometers (27 miles) south of Intipuca, El Salvador, at a depth of 70 kilometers (43 miles). That point is outside the Gulf of Fonseca, where Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua share a coast.
In El Salvador’s capital, residents ran into the streets as the ground trembled, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. When a radio station opened its phone lines to residents across the country, there was also no immediate report of casualties.
In the country’s Legislative Assembly, lawmakers fled their desks to leave the building, before returning a short time later to resume session.
The country’s environment ministry reported that there was no tsunami threat.
In Nicaragua, the earthquake was strongly felt in the capital and along the entire Pacific coast.
The vice president and first lady of Nicaragua, Rosario Murillo, said that no victims were immediately reported in that country.
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