West Texas: A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck West Texas Saturday night (local time), forming part of a seismic swarm shaking the region along the Texas-New Mexico border, the US Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed.
The tremor occurred at 7:47 p.m. (local time), about 35 miles south of Whites City, New Mexico, in an area situated between the Texas cities of Midland and El Paso.
Due to the region’s sparse population, the USGS said the quake had limited impact on residents and added that the chances of ground failure, landslides, or liquefaction were minimal.
Earlier, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) had initially measured the earthquake’s magnitude at 6.5 and placed the epicentre about 50 miles west of Pecos, Texas, and 45 miles northeast of Van Horn.
The independent scientific body noted on X that aftershocks were likely over the following hours or days.
“Unless it is necessary, stay away from damaged areas for your safety. Be careful and follow national authorities’ information,” EMSC said in its advisory.
According to the agency, tremors were felt across a 200-mile radius by nearly two million people in the US and Mexico.
The event came just a day after a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coasts of Chile and Argentina.
The USGS reported that the quake hit between Cape Horn and Antarctica at a shallow depth of 10 km (6 miles) and was followed by multiple aftershocks.
In response, Chilean authorities issued a tsunami warning for the country’s southernmost region, given the quake’s intensity.
IANS
