San Juan, Puerto Rico, Jan 8, 2020 / 00:59 am
In the wake of a series of earthquakes that left at least one dead, multiple injured and some 300,000 without water in Puerto Rico, Archbishop Roberto Octavio González Nieves called for prayer and solidarity among his people.
"A 6.7-point earthquake has just shaken all of Puerto Rico that is now without (electricity)," Nieves, Archbishop of San Juan Puerto Rico, said in a Jan. 7 tweet. "Prayer, serenity, solidarity and charity are important. We are one family!"
Since Dec. 28, Puerto Rico has been struck by a series of earthquakes of increasing strength, including a 5.8 magnitude earthquake that hit on Monday. The largest and most destructive thus far struck the country early Tuesday morning, measuring in at 6.4 in magnitude.
The region experienced multiple earthquakes and aftershocks in the following hours, including a 6.0 magnitude earthquake. Hundreds more are expected in the weeks ahead, the Miami Herald reported, prompting Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez to extend holiday breaks for schools, shut down public agency offices, and declare a state of emergency.