SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Early Tuesday, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake shook the southeast coast of the Dominican Republic, waking up residents in the Caribbean nation and in nearby Puerto Rico.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the quake’s epicenter was 24 miles (38 kilometers) southeast of Boca de Yuma and occurred at a depth of 104 miles (168 kilometers). Fortunately, no damage was recorded.
The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico are situated in an area with high seismic activity because the North American Plate and the northeast corner of the Caribbean Plate converge there.
In addition, a 4.1 magnitude earthquake was reported late Monday near Haiti’s capital at a depth of three miles (five kilometers), according to Haiti’s civil protection agency.
The quake was widely felt in Port-au-Prince and beyond. Officials said no damage was reported.
Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic and is located at the intersection of the North American and Caribbean plates.
Back in August 2021, Haiti experienced a devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake that claimed hundreds of lives. It hit along the same fault responsible for the catastrophic 7.0 earthquake in January 2010, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands.
