Most populous areas of Chiapas rattled by 6.2 magnitude earthquake

MEXICO CITY

A magnitude-6.2 earthquake hit off the coast of Mexico’s southern state of Chiapas on Saturday, shaking the state from the capital of Tuxtla Gutierrez to Tapachula on the border with Guatemala. The U.S. Geological Surgey stated that the quake’s epicenter was in the Pacific Ocean about 35 miles to the southwest of Mapastepec on the coast near the Guatemalan border with a depth of 41 miles.

There were no immediate reports of major damage or injury. The 6.2 temblor hit at 12:47 p.m. local time and sent people into the streets in cities across the southern state. Jose Manuel Aragon, spokesman for the Civil Protection Agency of Chiapas said that the quake caused some commotion amongst residents which quickly died down after reports that no major damage was done nor were major injuries reported. The quake was felt strongly by residents in the capital Tuxtla Gutierrez as well as in Tapachula and in Comitan, the first two areas of which maintain the state’s most populous areas.

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Magnitude 5.5 earthquake rattles northeastern Iran

Tehran | January 19, 2012

Iran’s state TV announced Thursday that a magnitude 5.1 earthquake of moderate strength caused damage and injured 100 people in the city of Neyshabour in the northeast part of Iran. Although some news outlets categorize the quake as a magnitude 5.5, the United States Geological Survey lists the quake as a magnitude 5.1.

According to Iran state TV, 17 of the 100 injured were hospitalized and others were treated for minor injuries. Rescue teams were still at work as of late Thursday. Windows shattered due to the quake and many residents of Neyshabour fled their homes for the streets. Walls of homes were destroyed in some rural areas.

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5.0 earthquake hits eastern Dominican Republic

SANTO DOMINGO | January 19, 2012

Just before dawn Thursday a magnitude 5.0 earthquake rattled the eastern Dominican Republican the U.S. Geological Survey says had a depth of 86.7 km. In a Huffington Post report the earthquake resulted in cracks in several buildings, mostly in houses, but there were no injuries or evacuations.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake’s epicenter was in San Jose de Ocoa province, 55 kilometers west of Santo Domingo, the nation’s capital, which shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Apparently the quake was felt as far away as Puerto Rico and even at the pre-dawn hour of approximately 2:30 a.m. sent several into the streets for fear of a Haitian repeat.

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