WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- A 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit Puerto Rico early Tuesday morning, reportedly killing at least one person, knocking out power, and causing damage to the island.
The earthquake occurred offshore of southwest Puerto Rico at 4:24 a.m. local time (0842 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
It was widely felt and followed by a number of aftershocks, said the USGS.
A 73-year-old man died after a wall fell on him, local media reported.
Puerto Rico's power authority tweeted they have shut down plants to protect them, cutting power to the islands, and that they hope to reconnect supplies as soon as possible.
Photos and videos shared on social media showed collapsed buildings and toppled trees and utility lines.
Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez has signed a state of emergency and activated the National Guard, according to media reports.
U.S. Senator Rick Scott of Florida tweeted Tuesday morning that he has spoken with President Donald Trump and Peter Gaynor, acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), on the situation in Puerto Rico.
Tuesday's quake came a day after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake shook Puerto Rico on Monday morning, which damaged homes and destroyed an unusual natural rock formation known as Punta Ventana but did not cause any fatalities.
Over the past several weeks, hundreds of small earthquakes have occurred in the same region, the USGS said.
Puerto Rico, with a population of 3.4 million, is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeast Caribbean Sea, approximately 1,600 kilometers southeast of Miami, Florida.
