Magnitude 6.6 Quake Hits Southwest Nicaragua: USGS

[April 12, 2014]  MANAGUA (Reuters) — A 6.6-magnitude earthquake hit southwest Nicaragua on Friday near the coast, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, shaking buildings in the capital Managua and as far away as San Jose in Costa Rica.

Initial reports indicated no major damage from the quake, which was also felt in El Salvador.

The quake struck 15 miles south of the town of Granada, near the country's Pacific coast, at a depth of 86 miles, the USGS said.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said a tsunami was not expected due to the depth of the quake.

The tremor came a day after a 6.1-magnitude earthquake shook western Nicaragua at a shallow depth of 6.2 miles, knocking out power and phone lines in some areas of the capital.

(Reporting by Alexandra Alper and Ivan Castro; editing by Richard Chang)

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