Published on Friday, March 21, 2025
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Costa Rican authorities reported no casualties, injuries, or structural damage following a 6.1-magnitude earthquake that was felt in the country on Friday.

The National Seismological Network (RSN) confirmed the earthquake struck at 8:50 a.m. at a depth of 21 miles, with its epicenter located approximately 73 miles south of Coiba Island in Panama.

A preliminary report from the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory (Ovsicori) had initially registered a 6.3-magnitude quake at a depth of 31 kilometers, with an epicenter 57 miles south of Golfito Beach in Puntarenas Province.

The earthquake was attributed to the Panama Plate, a minor tectonic plate situated between three actively spreading ridges. This plate moves relatively independently of surrounding plates, including Costa Rica's Cocos Plate, Peru's Nazca Plate to the south, and the Caribbean Plate to the north.

Panamanian officials briefly issued a tsunami warning following the quake, but it was rescinded shortly afterward.

Costa Rican experts reported a series of aftershocks in the southern zone of Puntarenas Province, particularly in the cantons of Golfito, Punta Burica, and Corredores.

Costa Rica’s earthquake alert application, SATT (Seismic Alert and Early Warning System), developed by Ovsicori, remains available to residents to provide real-time warnings of potential seismic activity.

Authorities continue to emphasize earthquake preparedness. In July 2024, Costa Rica conducted a National Earthquake Evacuation Drill to assess residents’ response to natural disasters.

On average, Costa Rica experiences 400 earthquakes per month, making it one of the most seismically active countries in the region.

The most powerful earthquake recorded in Costa Rica occurred on April 22, 1991. The 7.7-magnitude quake, known as the Limón Earthquake, struck Valle La Estrella Canton in Limón Province at 3:57 p.m. The tremor was felt from Nicaragua to Panama, causing the deaths of 48 people in Costa Rica and 79 in Panama.

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