哥斯达黎加发生7.9级强烈地震 致2人死亡

A powerful earthquake in north-western Costa Rica has killed two people.

The Red Cross said a 55-year-old woman died of a heart attack in Guanacaste, near the epicentre of the quake, and a construction worker was killed when a wall collapsed.

The US Geological Survey said the 7.6-magnitude quake occurred beneath the Nicoya peninsula, 140km (87 miles) west of the capital, San Jose.

A tsunami alert which had been issued for the area has been cancelled.

The quake rattled buildings in some parts of the capital, San Jose, Reuters news agency reported.

Power and communications were briefly knocked out, according to the Costa Rican authorities.

Regional media reported the quake could be felt as far away as Nicaragua and El Salvador.

The quake was filmed on traffic cameras and a newsroom camera-courtesy Teletica and Repretel.

The US Geological Survey originally said it had a magnitude of 7.9, but revised it down to 7.6.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which had at first issued a tsunami warning for the Pacific coast of most of Central and South America, has cancelled its alert.

President Laura Chinchillla said Costa Rica's emergency services were surveying the damage.

She said that so far there had been no reports of any serious damage to buildings.

【资讯快讯】

北京时间5日22时42分，哥斯达黎加发生7.6级地震，截至目前，地震已造成2人死亡。

此外，美国太平洋海啸预警中心解除了针对此次地震的海啸预警。美国地质勘探局网站最初判定这次地震为7.9级，但随后下调为7.6级。

地震发生时，哥斯达黎加全国均有震感，多地建筑物剧烈晃动，树木倒塌，供电和通信一度中断。居民非常恐慌，都跑到街道上。红十字会发言人说，地震已造成2人死亡，其中一人死于心脏病。哥斯达黎加劳拉·钦奇利亚在地震发生后呼吁人们保持冷静，并表示地震没有造成巨大损失。美国太平洋海啸预警中心此前就此次地震对哥斯达黎加、巴拿马和尼加拉瓜发布海啸预警，但数小时后解除。

这是10天来中美洲地区第二次发生7级以上地震，中美洲国家萨尔瓦多海域于北京时间8月27日12时37分发生里氏7.3级地震。