The U.S. Geological Survey reported a Magnitude 7.6 earthquake had occurred beneath the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica on September 5.

The USGC reports: “Over the past 40 years, the region within 250 km of the September 5th earthquake has experienced approximately 30 earthquakes with M 6 or greater; two of these were larger than M 7, and neither caused documented fatalities. The first was a M 7.2 in August of 1978, 9 km to the north-northeast of the September 5th 2012 event; the second had a magnitude of M 7.3, and struck a region just over 50 km to the east-southeast in March 1990.”

Initially, the Voice of America reported “no immediate reports of deaths or injuries but the quake shook buildings and caused power outages in some areas.” National Public Radio’s News Blog however reported that the two deaths had occurred as a result of the earthquake. Tsunami warnings for the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua had also been lifted.