A succession of six earthquakes, the largest measuring 4.6 of magnitude and strong enough to produce heavy damage to populated areas, shook El Salvador early today, causing panic among the population but no injuries.
Earlier in the year the Central American nation was devastated by two major quakes, one measuring magnitude 7.6 and the other 6.6. The two quakes struck within 31 days of each other, killing more than 1,150 people.
Government authorities suspended the scheduled start of the school year tomorrow for 300,000 students in the capital and surrounding districts.
The first quake this year struck on January 13th, followed by another on February 13th. Since then, about 4,000 aftershocks have been felt.
Damage from the twin quakes, which razed more than 130 communities, has been estimated at between $2 billion and £3 billion.