Hurricane, quake hit Central America

A fierce hurricane and a powerful offshore earthquake struck Central America at the same time, triggering emergency responses in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica though no immediate damage was reported from the quake-hit regions.

A strong 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook the Pacific Coast of Central America last night. US Geological Survey has said that the quake struck around 120 kilometers off the coast of El Salvador. The tremor also felt in the regions of Chalatenango, San Salvador, Cabanas and San Miguel. Shaking was also felt in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua, and as far as the Costa Rican capital San



Jose.

Meanwhile, Hurricane, Otto has made landfall on the coast of southern Nicaragua after strengthening to a category two storm. US National Hurricane Center has said the heavy rains due to hurricane is likely to cause dangerous flooding and mud slides.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega declared a state of emergency due to the quake and the storm. Costa Rica also declared an emergency and ordered the evacuation of 4,000 people from Atlantic coastal areas.