2 Strong quakes shake Nicaragua, nation on alert

Two strong earthquakes, measuring 6.2 and 6.6 on the Richter scale respectively, have rattled western Nicaragua since Thursday, killing one and injuring dozens of others. The latest 6.6-magnitude quake struck at 3:29 p.m. local time (2029 GMT), and was centered about 12 km south of the southwest town of Nandaime. A Xinhua reporter in the capital Managua, 61 km from Nandaime, said the quake was felt very strongly there. There were no reports of casualties or damage caused by the latest quake yet. Thursday's 6.2-magnitude quake was centered around 18 km southeast of the northwest city of Larreynaga. It damaged hundreds of homes, left some 33 people slightly injured, and indirectly led to the death of a woman who suffered a heart attack. The power supply has been cut off in Managua, with thousands of panic-stricken residents choosing to sleep in streets to avoid new quakes. Large-scale commercial facilities such as restaurants and supermarkets have all been shut down in Managua and schools in several strongly-hit western cities have also been suspended. Earlier on Friday, the Nicaraguan government announced extending a red alert in its entire Pacific coast due to powerful aftershocks.