6.8 Magnitude Quake Shakes Argentina

Tues. Jan. 19, 2021 (Reuters) – An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck west-central Argentina on Monday, followed by at least five aftershocks that shook buildings and sent products tumbling off supermarket shelves, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.

The quake hit at a depth of 10 km (6 miles), the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said, with its epicentre located 40 km (25 miles) south of the province of San Juan.

The aftershocks ranged in magnitude from 3.5 to 5, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.

Posts on social media showed many homes and buildings shaking, with the seismic activity leaving cracks in roads, while glass bottles fell off the shelves in shops.

San Juan Governor Sergio Uñac urged people to remain calm following the earthquake and called on them to reach out in case they need any assistance.

“Let us put into practice all the measures we have learned to prevent incidents, while we are committed to knowing the impact of the (earthquake) to collaborate in everything necessary,” he said https://bit.ly/3qyOf4a in a tweet, advising those who suffered damage or in need of assistance to call the emergency number 911.

No tsunami warning was issued, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System said. (Reporting by Bhargav Acharya in Bengaluru; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Clarence Fernandez & Shri Navaratnam)