A 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck Puerto Rico on Saturday morning after the island experienced a series of aftershocks this week, including one quake on Tuesday that was the largest on the island in nearly a century.
The latest earthquake took place around 9:00 a.m. local time and has caused damage by the island’s southern coast, where hundreds of schools and homes collapsed from the 6.4-magnitude earthquake Tuesday.
The island’s power authority said Saturday’s quake left an estimated 5,000 customers without power.
Witnesses stated that the tremors caused concrete debris from the already-damaged buildings to fall on the streets.
Randy Baldwin, a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey, said the 6.0-magnitude earthquake is just one of many aftershocks that occurred with several 5.0-magnitude aftershocks overnight.
At least one person has died, and nine others have suffered injuries as a result of the earthquakes and their aftershocks.
The island has seen hundreds of quakes and aftershocks since the new year began, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Thousands of people throughout Puerto Rico, especially those living in the southern towns, have been sleeping outside since Tuesday’s quake.
Some whose homes have collapsed or fear their homes could be destroyed with another aftershock have turned to government-run outdoor shelters for refuge.
Others have been taking their beds outside to the sidewalk to sleep there until dawn.
The center of the earthquake was off the southern coast of the island, but tremors were felt as far north as San Juan.