Powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Jamaica

An earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale struck off the coast of Jamaica on Tuesday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS)said.

The epicentre of the quake, which occurred at around 7:10 pm (UTC), was located at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres, about 125 kilometres northwest of the coastal town of Lucea.

Further details are awaited.