Strong 6.1 Earthquake Strikes Nicaragua

A  strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 struck Northwestern Nicaragua close to the Honduran border on Thursday night. According to the USGS the quake struck some 25 kilometers from the cities of Chinandega and El Viejo at a depth of 10 kilometers at 9:25 p.m. local time. They initially reported that the quake had a magnitude of 6.4 but later downgraded it to a 6.1. The government shut schools in the cities of Leon and Chinandega and according to reports the quake forced hospital patients in Chinandega to spend the night in the open on gurneys.   Reporta corresponsal pacientes y personal de Hospital Gral España en Chinandega salieron a la calle. @laprensa pic.twitter.com/wOnRVftG0e — Nohelia González (@ngonzalezv) June 10, 2016 Tremors were also felt in neighboring Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica. RT reports: Within 20 minutes of the initial jolt, the same area was hit by 5.1, 4.8 and 4.6 aftershocks. “The quake was felt almost throughout the country,” said Nicaragua government spokeswoman, Rosario Murillo, according to La Prensa. She described it as a “huge earthquake, unusually strong.” #Chinandega Familias se aglomeran en zonas seguras #Sismo #Nicaragua pic.twitter.com/yLq833W6bS — Canal 4 Nicaragua (@Canal4Ni) June 10, 2016 According [...]