A powerful earthquake rocked the eastern Caribbean on Thursday, damaging buildings and panicking residents, some of whom were hurt when they jumped from windows reports the Associated Press in the San Francisco Chronicle.
The magnitude-7.4 earthquake was centered 14 miles northwest of Martinique’s coastline, lasted longer than 20 seconds. It struck at 2 p.m. EST and was felt as far away as Puerto Rico to the west, and Venezuela and Suriname to the south.
It collapsed the roofs of a bank and a store in the capital of this French island and left cracks in several other buildings.
“My house shook so hard I thought it was going to fall,” said a caller to Radio Martinique who identified herself only as Fannie. “The door, the windows, everything shook.”
Martinique police and firefighters responded to hundreds of calls for help but only minor injuries were reported, said an official who declined to give his name in accordance with government policy. One British citizen died from heart failure during the quake, according to the island’s civil security office.
Six people were injured when they jumped through windows, including one listed in serious condition, said Samuel Bernes, a civil security office spokesman. Others were slightly injured when they tried to flee their homes, and dozens were treated for panic attacks, officials said.
More than 31,000 people on the island of 400,000 were without power Thursday evening, officials said. Many lingered outdoors for hours, fearing aftershocks.
Read it here: Powerful Earthquake Hits Caribbean