(Jamaica Observer) – A minor earthquake was felt in several areas of Jamaica minutes after 10 yesterday morning.
The ground shook for some 10 seconds with some residents in western Jamaica, Manchester and St Ann reporting the shock as “powerful”.
Eyewitnesses reported panic in Black River, St Elizabeth. One man told the Observer that the quake shook goods off supermarket shelves and causedpanic among his fellow shoppers. A businesswoman with premises on High Street in Black River reported feeling two jolts and said that the quake sent people “running up and down” and screaming.
“People run out of the post office,” she said. “The zinc (roof of her store) was shaking and the light (electricity) wire dem on the pole just going to and fro.”
Two hours after the quake struck at 10:07 am, the sea was described as “very calm”.
The University of West Indies (UWI) Mona reported that the quake had a focal depth of 21 km and that the epicentre was 20 kilometres offshore south of Black River.
