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Earthquake hits Honduras
Measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale and originating just 75 miles north-northeast of the coastal city of La Ceiba, an earthquake struck Honduras in the early hours of the morning on Thursday May 281. People were awoken from their sleep at 2:25 a.m. by the quake which shook the ground violently and terrified residents. In La Ceiba, the startled population quickly evacuated their homes and the streets filled with people fearing a tsunami was imminent. A tsunami warning issued by the United States Geological Survey was cancelled later that morning.
Although it was the closest city on the mainland to the epicenter, the damage to property in La Ceiba was minimal. Unstable objects fell to the ground and broke, and hairline cracks were visible in many buildings; but the basic infrastructure of the city remained intact and electricity was restored within 2-3 hours of the earthquake. However, in the department of Yoro, near the cities of El Progreso and San Pedro Sula, damage to property and infrastructure was more severe. Houses were destroyed, claiming at least three lives, and the Democracy Bridge on the main highway, which connects San Pedro Sula with El Progreso and the entire north coast, collapsed into the Ulúa River.
According to an online article in the national newspaper, La Prensa2 , throughout Honduras 57 houses were destroyed and 65 experienced severe damage. La Prensa also reported that 14 public schools, three churches, and three bridges were damaged; and many large structures such as the San Pedro Sula courthouse, the El Progreso prison, and the Metropolitan Olympic Stadium in San Pedro Sula were left with large fissures in their walls. As of Thursday afternoon six people had been reported dead and 13 injured nationwide; these figures are expected to rise somewhat as more information about the damage becomes known.
At Adelante, all personnel have reported being safe and without any significant property losses, although some operations were delayed due to bank closures and other interruptions in services. Information about the impact on our clients will take some time to collect. Thankfully, despite the strength of the tremor, the damages, thus far, have been minimal.
1. USGS Earthquakes Hazards Program report of May 28, 2009; http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2009heak.php
2. “Muertos suben a seis en Honduras tras sismo,” by Noé Leiva, May 28,2009; http://www.laprensa.com.ni/archivo/2009/mayo/28/noticias/ultimahora/329930.shtml
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