Earthquake off El Salvador generates a tsunami: US govt

WASHINGTON - Agence France-Presse

A strong 7.4 earthquake that shook an area in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of El Salvador early Monday has generated a tsunami, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
 
"Sea level readings confirm that a tsunami was generated," the center said in a bulletin. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake took place at a depth of 54 kilometers (36 miles) and issued a tsunami warning for all Central American nations and Mexico.
 
It warned that this tsunami may be "destructive along the coastlines of the region.
 
"Authorities in the region should take appropriate action in response to this possibility," the center said.

The epicenter of the tremor, which occurred at 0437 GMT, was located 111 kilometers (69 miles) south of the city Puerto El Triunfo in El Salvador, according to the USGS.
 
No reports of casualties or damage were immediately available.
 
The reading was based on the open-ended Moment Magnitude scale used by US seismologists, which measures the area of the fault that ruptured and the total energy released.