Magnitude 6.0 earthquake shakes Antigua and ripples across Eastern Caribbean

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck northeast of Antigua and Barbuda on Saturday morning, with residents recounting strong shaking across several communities.

The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre said the tremor occurred at a depth of 31 kilometres. There were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage, though people in multiple areas described intense ground motion.

The event was also felt in the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Saint Martin, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, the United States Virgin Islands, Venezuela, the Caribbean Netherlands, and Anguilla.

Scientists note that the Eastern Caribbean lies close to the boundary between the Caribbean and North American tectonic plates, a zone where earthquakes occur regularly.