Urgent tsunami warning issued after powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake hits the Caribbean

A tsunami warning has been issued after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake shook the Caribbean, just north of Honduras on Saturday.

The epicentre was about 20 miles north of Honduras and 130 miles south-west of the Cayman Islands.

The earthquake occurred at 6.23pm EST, the United States Geological Survey reports.

After the earthquake, the US Tsunami Warning System issuee advisories for the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

However, less than two hours later at 8.13pm, San Juan’s National Weather Service cancelled the tsunami advisory for the area.

The quake happened at a depth of 6.21 miles.

It is unknown if there has been any movement or damage on land.

Although the warning has since been redacted, people in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are still advised to stay away from the beach, harbours, marinas, bays and inlets.

MORE LIKE THIS:

• Travel warning: Britons travelling to Greek islands including Santorini given important update following tremors
• Holidaymakers travelling to Greece warned as state of emergency declared following more earthquakes
• At least 95 people dead and 130 injured after 7.1 magnitude earthquake hits Tibet

According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the quake was the biggest to hit the region since 2021, when a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti killing more than 2,000 people.

The United States Geological Survey said large earthquakes at this location of the plate boundary are not unexpected.

“Luckily, the remote location of these earthquakes limits the potential for significant damage due to shaking,” it added.

In 2018, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit nearby, causing minimal damage and a small tsunami.

This comes as the Greek Islands of Santorini, Amorgos, Anafi and Ios have also been hit by more than 800 tremors since last week.

The Greek Ministry of Civil Protection declared a state of emergency due to the quakes.

Tourists have fled as well as some locals, while schools on the Island have closed.

While the frequency of the quakes has decreased slightly, 11 tremors of magnitude 4 or greater struck the islands on Saturday.

Experts have said they are unable to rule out stronger quakes in the coming days.