State of emergency declared after Puerto Rico earthquake

GUANICA, Puerto Rico (NBC) – Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard Tuesday after a series of earthquakes including one of magnitude 6.4 struck the Caribbean island.

The earthquake killed at least one person, knocked out power across much of the island and caused significant damage.

Vazquez said all public sector offices except for emergency services would remain closed today Tuesday while emergency plans were implemented.

The emergency order and activation of the National Guard were later published on an official government website.

Witnesses said the quake lasted about 30 seconds.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported a small tsunami Tuesday morning measuring around eight inches.

The island has been rocked by a series of quakes in recent days, including a magnitude 5.8 temblor on Monday that damaged a few homes on the southern coast.

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