A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of El Salvador overnight, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
The quake was centered 57 miles southwest of Acajutla, the USGS said. It hit at a depth of about 15 miles.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
“Strong, 25km deep, M6.1 compressional #earthquake offshore #ElSalvador from plate convergence. Felt in populated region, but little onshore impact expected,” wrote Ben van der Pluijm, a professor of geology at the University of Michigan, on Twitter.
El Salvador is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a seismically active region that encircles the Pacific Ocean. About 90 percent of all earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire.
“The Ring of Fire isn’t quite a circular ring. It is shaped more like a 40,000-kilometer (25,000-mile) horseshoe. A string of 452 volcanoes stretches from the southern tip of South America, up along the coast of North America, across the Bering Strait, down through Japan, and into New Zealand. Several active and dormant volcanoes in Antarctica, however, ‘close’ the ring,” according to National Geographic.
According to the USGS, “The next most seismic region (5-6% of earthquakes) is the Alpide belt (extends from Mediterranean region, eastward through Turkey, Iran, and northern India.)”
In 2017, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit near the city of Puebla, Mexico, killing around 370. Reports at the time said that dozens of buildings collapsed during the earthquake, which was felt around the Mexico City region.
