This archive report was first published on 11 January 2020.
Published on January 11, 2020, a devastating earthquake struck Puerto Rico, causing widespread destruction and leaving thousands without power.
Nelson Martínez, 73, tragically lost his life in Ponce when an unfinished bathroom wall fell on him while he was in bed, the only death directly linked to structural damage.
Thousands of people in southern Puerto Rico have been forced to spend nights outside, fearing additional tremors, with at least 6,000 more quake survivors in shelters, according to Jenniffer González-Colón, Puerto Rico's representative in Congress.
'We're used to hurricanes,' she said. 'We're not used to earthquakes.'
The crisis has plunged Puerto Rico into darkness, with dozens of tremors felt in the days since the pre-dawn quake tumbled houses and schools.
The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority's roughly 1.5 million customers were affected, with about 20 percent remaining without power by Friday morning.
Gov. Wanda Vázquez stated that she could not provide a date for when the power would return to all of the island's residents.
The damaged Costa Sur plant, which produces more power than any other plant on the island, could take a year to repair, according to officials.
