01/19/2021 18:40
Clarín.com
Society
Updated 01/19/2021 6:40 PM
In San Juan there was
another aftershock from the strong earthquake
that shook the province last night and caused multiple material damage.
The earthquake occurred around 6 pm, shortly after President Alberto Fernández visited the most affected neighborhoods.
As reported by the National Institute for Seismic Prevention,
the earthquake reached 2.7 degrees on the Modified Mercalli scale
, which is interpreted as a movement of weak intensity, and its epicenter was 50 kilometers southwest of San Juan.
In addition, it was indicated that the aftershock occurred at
a depth of 10 kilometers.
The agency detailed that the earthquake occurred at 5:49 p.m., minutes after the meeting led by President Fernández with Governor Sergio Uñac to announce that games would be advanced to build 1,800 homes in the province.
Earlier,
the head of state toured part of the areas affected
by the violent earthquake that struck the province last night.
Accompanied by Governor Uñac, the national leader made contact with several families from the Pellegrini settlement, in the Rivadavia department, who suffered the collapse of their homes.
In the Pellegrini and La Paz settlements, more than 240 families live.
The 6.4 magnitude earthquake caused the collapse of 40 percent of the houses.
At least
50 aftershocks have already been registered as a result of the earthquake
that occurred last night 57 kilometers southwest of the capital of San Juan, which reached 6.4 degrees on the Richter scale, and only five minor injuries had to be lamented.
The Inpres geophysicist, Gerardo Sánchez, confirmed to Télam that "the aftershocks perceived were at least 12 and we have not received more than 50 but so far we cannot specify the exact number because we are processing and updating the information as we receive" .
Along the same lines, the specialist indicated that based on earthquakes such as the one that occurred in Salta in 2010, which was of a magnitude of 6.1 degrees, or the one in Jujuy in 2011, which was of 5.9 degrees, "this could have aftershocks from here to six months, which will decrease as time passes. "
Sánchez added that the strongest aftershock "already occurred at 00.37 hours and was at a magnitude of 4.9 degrees, at least, it is what we expect as the strongest, we do not expect an aftershock with a greater magnitude."
And he clarified: "Although it is not conclusive that it cannot occur in normal patterns, it would not be common (that a higher intensity is recorded)".
As a consequence of the shock,
the tremor was perceived in the provinces of Cuyo and even in tall buildings in Córdoba, La Rioja and Entre Ríos.
Regarding the damage assessment, the San Juan security secretary, Carlos Munisaga, assured that the earthquake did not cause "deaths or serious injuries", and in fact "there are no internees", but it did cause "damage to the habitability "of some" 15 or 20 precarious dwellings per department ".
AFG