An earthquake struck on the border of the Dominican Republic and Haiti

A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 has struck the Dominican Republic near the border with Haiti. The tremor was recorded at a depth of 12 miles (19 kilometers) northwest of Las Matas de Santa Cruz.

The US Geological Survey reported that the quake hit the border town of Montecristi. The tremors were also felt in settlements south of the capital Santo Domingo, ABC News reports.

Scientists said that this is the strongest earthquake in the country since the beginning of the year.

Although the 5-magnitude earthquake is not considered destructive, it can damage some unstable structures.

Jenrry Castro, the mayor of the northwestern city of Villa Vasquez, wrote on the social network X, formerly known as Twitter, that minor damage was reported in two schools.

The aftershocks also caused havoc in stores, with food falling off the shelves. People were sent to inspect all the places where there could be damage.

As for Haiti, the local authorities did not report on the consequences of the earthquake.