The Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies (Ineter) reported this Thursday 16 earthquakes with magnitudes of up to 5.7 on the Richter scale, off its Pacific coast of Nicaragua, which have not caused victims or damage.
The tremors occurred between 03:23 and 06:22 local time (09:23 and 12:22 GMT), at a distance of between 36 and 51 kilometers west of the coast of Jiquilillo, in northwestern Nicaragua, according to Ineter data.
Due to its location, the telluric movements occurred near the subduction zone, the point where the Coco and Caribbean tectonic plates collide.
According to data from the institution, the series of earthquakes off Jiquilillo occurred at a depth of between 31 and 39 kilometers.
The Ineter has not reported whether it is a seismic swarm or a strong movement with multiple aftershocks. The first would consist of several earthquakes, the second a major one followed by smaller ones.
Related news: More than 20 earthquakes shake El Salvador in the early morning hours
This Thursday’s began with a strong earthquake followed by others of lower magnitudes, although not uniformly, but alternatively, both above 3.0 on the Richter scale, and below it.
The west coast of Nicaragua is part of the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire”, which surrounds the ocean of the same name, and is considered the geological zone that causes the most earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the world.
In 1992, an earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale that occurred off the coast of Nicaragua produced a tsunami that left more than a hundred dead, the most catastrophic recorded in the history of Central America.
