Authorities in Puerto Rico declared a state of emergency last Tuesday after a 6,4-magnitude earthquake that left at least one person dead and several injured in the south of the Caribbean island, which is still struggling to recover. devastation suffered in 2017 by hurricanes Irma and Maria.
The southern cities of Guayanilla, Yauco, Guanica and Ponce suffered the most damage. Several cars were destroyed, crushed under the houses built on concrete stilts. The tremor, which surprised residents in the middle of the night, left at least one person dead. A 73-year-old man died in the city of Ponce when a wall collapsed on him, reports El Nuevo Dia, the largest Puerto Rican daily.
Eight people were also injured in Ponce.
Local infrastructure has also been damaged. Landslides blocked part of the road network in the south of the island and the National Electricity Authority (EEA) confirmed that the power lines had been damaged.
The two Guayanilla power plants, the closest to the epicenter, also suffered major damage. The city could be without power for the next two weeks.
Several aftershocks, of lesser magnitude, were still felt as rescue workers searched the destroyed buildings in search of survivors.
The declaration of state of emergency, as well as the mobilization of the national guard, will "allow a rapid action of the government process to guarantee an effective execution" of the aid, said the governor of this American territory, Wanda Vazquez Garced.
A 5,8 magnitude earthquake had already shaken Puerto Rico on Monday, causing major power outages and major property damage, without causing casualties.
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