Major Caribbean earthquake triggers tsunami alerts

Major Caribbean earthquake triggers tsunami alerts

A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake has struck the Caribbean Sea triggering tsunami warnings for a number of countries, the US Geological Survey (USGS) has said.

Officials say the earthquake's epicentre is about 20 miles (32.1km) north of Honduras and 130 miles (209.2km) south-west of the Cayman Islands.

A number of tsunami alerts have been issued for the region including the coast of Colombia, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Cuba.

The National Weather Service initially sent out a tsunami advisory for potential hazards for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands - but this alert was cancelled about 45 minutes after it was issued.

"While alerts have ended, strong and unusual currents may continue. Be careful near the water and use caution," the National Tsunami Warning Centre said.

"Refer to the latest information from local emergency management."

But, the Cayman Islands' government has warned residents it remains "under a tsunami threat".

"Residents living near the coastline are encouraged to move inland."

The USGS said large earthquakes at this location of the plate boundary are not unexpected.

In 2018 a 7.5-magnitude earthquake occurred nearby, causing some damage and a small tsunami, it said.

"Luckily, the remote location of these earthquakes limits the potential for significant damage due to shaking," it added.

Separately, the US National Tsunami Warning Centre said there are no alerts for the mainland US coast.