Geologist Osiris De Leon said Tuesday, 7 January 2020, when speaking on El Gobierno de la Mañana radio talk show, that the two strong earthquakes in Puerto Rico on 6 and 7 January 2020 were caused by the same fault line that destroyed Haiti in 2010 and Azua in 1751.
De Leon explained that in the southern part of Puerto Rico this type of shaking was not expected, because the main faults are in the northern part, near San Juan, Isabela and Hatillo. He explained that residents in the northern areas are always on alert, since this is the location where this type of phenomenon historically has occurred.
Puerto Rico is reporting the death of a 73-year old Nelson Martinez in the 4:23am 6.4 magnitude quake on 7 January 2020. He died when a wall collapsed in his home. On Tuesday, Puerto Rico endured another 6.0 earthquake. Puerto Rican authorities say that 29 homes were seriously affected, and some five buildings collapsed.
On Monday, 6 January, the island had already felt a strong 5.8 magnitude earthquake. In addition to these major damages, Puerto Ricans are now undergoing effects of the power grid having been disconnected in the southern part of the island. Puerto Rico has declared a state of emergency.
Reports are that the Dominican community in Puerto Rico was less affected because most Dominicans live in the San Juan metropolitan area in the north of the island.
The director of the National Seismology Center, Ramon Delanoy said that it is normal for Dominicans to be concerned after the earthquakes in Puerto Rico. “In the Dominican Republic there is a threat that a similar tremor (to that of Puerto Rico) could occur, and it could be even greater,” Delanoy said. Nevertheless, he said that the amount of energy released by the Puerto Rico earthquakes decreases the likelihood of an earthquake in the country.
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8 January 2020