This article is more than 8 months old

This article is more than 8 months old

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake shook Puerto Rico on Saturday, causing further damage on the island’s southern coast, where recent quakes have toppled homes and schools.

The US Geological Survey said the 8.54am quake hit eight miles south of Indios at a shallow depth of six miles.

Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority said outages were reported across much of southern Puerto Rico and crews were assessing possible damage at power plants.

Much of Puerto Rico still without power after worst earthquake in a century Read more

Barbara Cruz, a prosecutor who was in the southern coastal city of Ponce when the new quake hit, said concrete debris hit the sidewalk as buildings continued to crumble.

“Everyone is out on the street,” she said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

It was the strongest shake since a magnitude 6.4 quake – the strongest to hit the island in a century – struck before dawn on Tuesday, knocking out power across Puerto Rico and leaving many without water.

More than 2,000 people remain in shelters, many fearful of returning to their homes, and others unable to because of extensive damage.

Hundreds of quakes have shaken the island since the new year, though most were too slight to be felt.

Nasa reported on Friday that the quakes had moved the land in parts of southern Puerto Rico as much as 5.5in, based on satellite images before and after the temblors.

Victor Huerfano, director of Puerto Rico’s Seismic Network, said he expects still more aftershocks as a result of the latest large one.

“It’s going to re-energize an unstable situation,” he said, adding that seismologists are studying which faults were activated. “It’s a complex zone.”

Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans are still without power and water and thousands are staying in shelters and sleeping on sidewalks. Tuesday’s temblor killed one person, injured nine and damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes and several schools and businesses in the island’s south-west.