A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck off Jamaica’s coast early Tuesday morning, according to the Earthquake Unit at UWI Mona, with shaking felt across the island.
The quake occurred at approximately 3:18 a.m. local time and was centered offshore, about 84.9 kilometres (52.8 miles) northeast of Manchioneal and 139.4 kilometres (86.6 miles) east of Kingston. It struck at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles).
There was no indication of a tsunami threat. The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC), which monitors the Caribbean region, did not issue any alerts following the earthquake.
Residents across Jamaica reported feeling the tremor, with many saying it woke them from sleep. Several accounts described windows rattling and the shaking lasting for a few seconds.
“That earthquake just shook me out of my sleep. What the heck?” one resident wrote on social media.
Reggae singer Lila Iké also posted online that she felt “the worst earthquake.”
Jamaica sits along the boundary between the Caribbean and North American tectonic plates and experiences regular seismic activity, including occasional moderate to strong earthquakes.
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