Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has called for calm in the aftermath of a 5.4 magnitude earthquake that rocked the island Monday morning.
Holness, in a short video address, said no deaths have been reported and damage assessments are under way.
“We give God thanks for sparing us the worst,” Holness said, following the earthquake.
Hazard Management Cayman Islands, in a post on the earthquake, said that it posed no threat to the Cayman Islands.
It added that Monday’s quake was the “strongest earthquake they had experienced in Jamaica in many years and the shaking lasted for about one minute”.
Holness said several areas are without power.
“All our protocols have been activated and generally what we have seen is that the damage that has been assessed is not significant, but nevertheless, we are taking all precautions. Just to be clear, we have experienced some break in electricity and communications, but the report so far is that most have been restored,” Holness said in his address.
The US Geological Survey confirmed that the earthquake occurred at 10:57am near Hope Bay, Portland, Jamaica.
Media reports out of Jamaica stated that intense shaking was felt in the Corporate area in Kingston.
Operations in the Supreme Court and the University of the West Indies Mona campus have were brought to a halt, it added.
Videos and photos of cracked buildings are being circulated from locations close to the epicentre.
The earthquake was also felt in parts of Cuba.
Holness said the Jamaican airports remain open.
(1/2) Jamaica just experienced an earthquake. The preliminary measurement of the earthquake is approximately 5. 6 in magnitude, centred around Buff Bay in Portland.
The damage assessment indicates minor displacement, however, pic.twitter.com/IziQYFnEUv
— Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) October 30, 2023
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