FILE PHOTO: The sun sets behind boats anchored off Seven Mile Beach in George Town, Cayman Islands, April 27, 2010. © REUTERS/Gary Hershorn FILE PHOTO: The sun sets behind boats anchored off Seven Mile Beach in George Town, Cayman Islands, April 27, 2010. © REUTERS/Gary Hershorn

Magnitude 6.1 aftershock hits near Cayman Islands - USGS

A shallow 6.1-magnitude quake struck some 53 km off the coast of the Cayman islands at the depth of just 10 km. It came shortly after a powerful 7.7- quake off Jamaica triggered a tsunami warning across the Caribbean.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said that it’s unlikely the aftershock, which was reported at 21:55 GMT on Tuesday, would trigger any tsunami waves, but did not rule out the possibility outright in its initial statement.

“Based on all available data…there is no significant tsunami threat from this earthquake. However… there is very a small possibility of tsunami waves along coasts located near the epicenter,” the PTWC said.

The initial magnitude of 6.5 reported by The US Geological Survey (USGS) was later downgraded to 6.1. The aftershock hit west of the first, 7.7-strong quake, that sent ripples across the region, prompting a tsunami alert for Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and several other countries. That tsunami warning was eventually lifted.

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(Source: rt.com; January 29, 2020; https://on.rt.com/a9xi)
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