Earthquake rocks Jamaica

A tremor was felt in sections of Jamaica at 10:07 this morning. According to the Earthquake Unit at the University of the West Indies, the magnitude of the quake was 5.0 on the Richter scale. The epicentre of the quake was located 20 kilometres south of Black River, St Elizabeth. The depth of the quake was 21 kilometres. As news of the quake unfolded information coming into our newsroom is that it was felt islandwide. Several persons on social networking site Twitter told The Gleaner that they felt it all over and were surprised. According to the Earthquake Unit the intensity of the quake was felt in Negril, Montego Bay, Mandeville, Santa Cruz, Spanish Town and Kingston. This is the latest tremor in a series of earthquakes to rock the island. Reports coming into our newsroom are that several buildings in New Kingston and downtown Kingston have been evacuated. Reports have also been coming in that several cracks have appeared in buildings in downtown Kingston along the waterfront. This has not been independently verified by The Gleaner . In the meantime, Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, Ronald Jackson is reminding the public of steps to take in case of an earthquake. Jackson said standing under a doorjam is also an effective method. However, he is advising the public to avoid crouching beside pieces of furniture. (The Gleaner)