One person was killed and at least six injured after a powerful 7,4-magnitude earthquake shook several Caribbean holiday islands, officials said on Friday.
The quake, which struck just offshore the French island of Martinique on Thursday afternoon, destroyed buildings and caused widespread panic across the eastern Caribbean, with thousands of Martinique and Barbados residents fleeing their homes.
It was the worst earthquake to hit the area in more than half a century; the last major temblor here was in 1953.
A woman died at an old-age home after suffering a heart attack, the civil security officials in Martinique said, adding that at least six people were injured.
France’s Overseas Minister Christian Estrosi earlier said a Briton had died following a cardiac attack, but local officials said this happened before the quake.
Earlier, Estrosi told French television that about 100 people had required medical treatment on Martinique. Schools were closed until Monday.
On nearby Guadaloupe there were no reports of casualties, he said.
Buildings collapsed on Martinique and nearby Barbados and about one-third of Martinique was without electricity, local officials said.
Hospitals were functioning normally except the Hopital de Trinite, where an eight-storey tower developed large cracks after the quake.
One elderly woman died after suffering a heart attack in the panic of the moment in Martinique, security officials said.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake’s epicentre was about 23km north-west of Martinique.
”We have rarely seen anything like this. This lasted for more than 30 seconds. The last time round was in 1970 and it was less powerful,” a local resident said.
USGS geophysicist Stuart Sipkin said the damage was limited by the extreme 143km depth of the earthquake, which also meant it did not generate a destructive tsunami.
”But things that happen when you get deeper earthquakes is that even though the shaking at the surface is not as strong, it’s felt over a wider area,” Sipkin said from Colorado. — Sapa-AFP