Costa Rican Tourism OK After Earthquake

A 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck Costa Rica near the popular beach tourism city of Jaco Sunday night. There were no initial reports of any injuries or significant infrastructure damage.

According to Reuters.com, Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis announced that local authorities are in the process of gathering information, but warned residents to be prepared for the possibility of aftershocks.

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Witnesses in Costa Rica said the earthquake could be felt briefly in the capital of San Jose, but it was centered near a mostly rural region near Jaco. Officials reported that the earthquake would not trigger a tsunami threat in the Pacific and the tourism industry was not impacted.

In Jaco, no major damage or injuries were reported, but witnesses claim several electrical poles were toppled and items lining the aisles of stores had been thrown from their shelves.

The Costa Rican Red Cross also said it had no reports of casualties.

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As for the neighboring Central American countries, authorities in El Salvador said the earthquake was enough to knock over several electrical posts. In Panama, the civil protection agency revealed there were no reports of damage there.

The earthquake was centered around 43 miles southwest of San Jose at a depth of 12.3 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

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