Costa Rica Earthquake 2012: 7.6 Magnitude Quake Threatens Oncoming Tsunami

An earthquake of 7.6-magnitude shook Costa Rica on Wednesday at 8:32 a.m. Although powerful, no initial reports of deaths or serious injuries have yet to surface, although lines of communication were currently down near the epicenter.

Originally estimated at a magnitude of 7.9, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake struck about 38 miles from the town of Liberia and was centered about 25 miles below the surface. A 7.6-magnitude on the Richter Scales entails high to far-reaching potential hazard.

While there were no initial reports of damage or deaths in the capital of San Jose, Douglas Salgado, a geographer with Costa Rica's National Commission of Risk Prevention and Emergency Attention, said officials were having trouble accessing the earthquake zone and reaching people affected in that area. Officials are flying over the area to assess damage to highways and other structures.

"There's chaos in San Jose because it was a strong earthquake of long duration," Salgado said. "It was pretty strong and caused collective chaos."

Following the powerful earthquake, a Pacific Tsunami Warning Center bulletin announced a tsunami warning would be put into effect for Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua. It is unknown whether or not a tsunami was generated, but the warning was based on the size of the quake. 

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