Strong Earthquake Shakes Dominica, Guadeloupe

By ELLSWORTH CARTER, AP - 11/21/04

ROSEAU, Dominica (AP) - A strong, early morning earthquake shook the Caribbean islands of Dominica and Guadeloupe on Sunday, destroying at least a half dozen buildings and injuring several people.
The temblor had a preliminary magnitude of 6.0, said John Minsch, a seismologist at the U.S. National Earthquake Information Service. Its epicenter was about 45 kilometers (28 miles) north-northwest of Dominica, near the Guadeloupe archipelago of Les Saintes.
At least six houses were destroyed and others were damaged in Terre-de-Bas, one of the islands in the chain, which is some 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) off the French overseas department's southern coast, private Radio Caraibes reported.
Several people were injured in mainland Guadeloupe in the southern towns of Trois-Rivieres and Basse-Terre, the radio station reported. The injuries were not serious.
In Dominica, several homes and buildings were damaged in the northern part of the former British colony, including three churches, national disaster coordinator Cecil Shillingford said.
No injuries were reported in Dominica, Shillingford said. A complete damage assessment was not available because heavy rains prevented authorities from reaching many areas, he said.
The facade of a Roman Catholic church collapsed in Portsmouth, 26 miles (40 kilometers) north of the capital, Roseau, said Ian Douglas, a parliamentary representative from the area.
There was nobody in the church at the time. Sunday services were previously canceled because Catholics in Dominica were celebrating a special feast in the southern part of the country.
Portsmouth's hospital also suffered damage and patients were evacuated to a nearby building, Douglas told state-run Dominica Broadcasting Corp.