Two people dead after 7.6 magnitude quake off Costa Rica coast

Two people have died after 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck 8 kilometers off the coast of Costa Rica, according to the Red Cross. Meanwhile, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has cancelled its tsunami alert for a number of Pacific coastline states.

The quake hit close to Samara, a coastal area on the Pacific some 151 kms from the capital, San Jose. Some parts of the capital have lost power, but so far, no casualties have been reported.Earlier, the Tsunami Warning Center released a statement, saying "an earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines in the region near the epicenter within minutes to hours. Authorities in the region should take appropriate action in response to this possibility". The PTWC previously cancelled the warning for El Salvador, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Peru. The last major earthquake in Costa Rica was a 6.1 magnitude quake in 2009, which killed 40 people, according to the USGS.