Costa Rican authorities reported no casualties, injuries, or structural damage following a 5.2-magnitude earthquake that shook parts of the country Sunday afternoon.

The National Seismological Network (RSN) confirmed the quake struck at 1:59 p.m. with a depth of 27 miles (approximately 44 kilometers). The epicenter was located in the district of Playón Sur, within the Parrita canton of Puntarenas province.

According to the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory (Ovsicori), 76 aftershocks were recorded in the first three hours after the main quake, 20 of them within the first 30 minutes. The strongest aftershock, registering at magnitude 4.5, occurred at 3:51 p.m.

The earthquake was linked to tectonic activity involving the Cocos Plate, an oceanic plate located beneath the Pacific Ocean off Central America’s western coast. The plate, named for Cocos Island, is responsible for major seismic events in the region.

Notably, two deadly earthquakes in El Salvador in 2001 (a 7.7-magnitude quake in January that killed over 900 people and a 6.6-magnitude tremor in February that claimed more than 300 lives) were both triggered by the subduction of the Cocos Plate beneath the Caribbean Plate.

Costa Rica’s Seismic Alert and Early Warning System (SATT), developed by Ovsicori, remains active and available to residents, providing real-time alerts about potential seismic activity.

Authorities continue to stress the importance of earthquake preparedness. The next nationwide earthquake evacuation drill is scheduled for August 2025.

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

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

The National Seismological Network (RSN) is a research program of the University of Costa Rica, equipped with advanced geophysical technology for monitoring and analyzing seismic activity nationwide.

Ovsicori, based at the National University of Costa Rica, is a dedicated research institute focused on monitoring both seismic and volcanic events.