Published on Wednesday, October 22, 2025
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) reported no casualties, injuries, or structural damage following a magnitude 6 earthquake that shook parts of the country Tuesday night.

The National Seismological Network (RSN) of the University of Costa Rica initially recorded the quake at magnitude 6.1 on the Richter scale. Experts later confirmed an official magnitude of 6.0.

According to the RSN, the quake struck at 9:57 p.m. at a depth of 13 miles (about 21 kilometers). The epicenter was located 11 miles (about 19 kilometers) south of Quepos Beach in Puntarenas province.

Fifteen aftershocks were recorded within the first 90 minutes after the main tremor, from 10 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., the strongest registering at magnitude 4.1 at 11:25 p.m., the RSN said.

Seismologists linked the earthquake to tectonic activity involving the Cocos Plate, an oceanic plate beneath the Pacific Ocean off Central America’s western coast. The plate, named after Cocos Island, is responsible for much of the region’s seismic activity.

Earthquakes along Costa Rica’s central Pacific Coast are common and can originate either in the subduction zone or on local faults within the continental crust, the RSN noted.

Major seismic events have been recorded in this same region, including the magnitude 6.8 Quepos earthquake on Sept. 9, 1952, and the magnitude 6.9 quake on Aug. 20, 1999.

“The RSN catalog records 34 earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 5.5 in this area, so strong earthquakes are not surprising,” the network said in a statement.

Costa Rica’s Seismic Alert and Early Warning System (SATT), developed by the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory (Ovsicori), remains active and provides residents with real-time alerts on potential seismic activity.

Authorities continue to emphasize the importance of earthquake preparedness. In August, the CNE coordinated the National Emergency Evacuation Drill to strengthen the country’s disaster response and teach the public practical safety measures for emergencies such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, wildfires, landslides, and volcanic eruptions.

Costa Rica experiences an average of 400 earthquakes each month, making it one of the most seismically active nations in the region, according to experts.

The strongest earthquake ever recorded in Costa Rica occurred on April 22, 1991. Known as the Limón Earthquake, the magnitude 7.7 tremor struck  La Estrella Valley in Limón province at 3:57 p.m. It was felt from Nicaragua to Panama and caused 48 deaths in Costa Rica and 79 in Panama.

The RSN is a research program operated by the University of Costa Rica, equipped with advanced geophysical technology to monitor and analyze seismic activity nationwide.

The CNE works in coordination with communities and emergency responders to strengthen the nation’s preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities during natural disasters.

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