Strong quake jolts western Costa Rica, 2 dead

Two people were reportedly killed in the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that jolted the western coast of Costa Rica on Wednesday.

Local TV Channel 7 reported two deaths, including a worker, who was crushed when the building under construction collapsed at a site. Another victim was a 50-year-old woman who died from heart attack when the quake occurred at 8:42 local time (1442 GMT).

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the quake is 7. 6 in magnitude. Costa Rica's volcanic and seismic observation agency first put the tremor at 6.7, but lifted it to 7.6 later. Two minor aftershocks have also been reported.

The quake was centered about 8 km northeast of Samara, Costa Rica, and 151 km west of San Jose, the capital, said the USGS.

In Samara, the epicenter, a clerk said in an interview that the damage was not serious, but residents were in a state of panic. Xinhua photographers witnessed broken water pipes in Samara and cracks in the road connecting San Jose with the epicenter area.

Costa Rica's Social Security Fund said a hospital in Liberia, a city 150 km northwest of San Jose, suffered structural damage following the quake, and patients were transferred to other medical centers.

People hit by objects falling off buildings or furniture were treated in hospitals in Nicoya, a place near the epicenter and Puntarenas, about 90 km west of San Jose.

In San Jose, the quake shook buildings and sent residents fleeing to the streets. Connections via mobile phones and regular phones have been disrupted. Electricity cut-off has been reported in the capital.

The quake also caused panic in surrounding countries. Schools in Nicaragua's Pacific areas have suspended classes. In Managua, capital of the Central American country, some children were picked up by their parents although there was no order for class suspension.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a warning for Pacific coastlines of Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama, but canceled it later.