Puerto Rico earthquake: 6.4 magnitude quake rocks U.S. territory, at least 1 killed

TALLABOA, Puerto Rico — A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck Puerto Rico early Tuesday, killing at least one person, injuring at least eight others and knocking out power across the island, according to multiple reports.

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico A helicopter flies over the Inmaculada Concepcion church, seen partially collapsed after an earthquake hit the island in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, on January 7, 2020. (Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico Father Melvin Diaz from the Inmaculada Concepcion church comforts a woman after an earthquake hit the island in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, on January 7, 2020. (Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico A cross stands on top of the Inmaculada Concepcion church, seen partially collapsed after an earthquake hit the island in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico on January 7, 2020. A strong earthquake struck south of Puerto Rico early January 7, 2020, followed by major aftershocks, the US Geological Survey said, the latest in a series of tremors that have shaken the island since December 28. (Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico A man carries a St. Jude statue from the Inmaculada Concepcion church ruins after an earthquake hit the island in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, on January 7, 2020. (Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico Amir Seneriz, president of the Logia Aurora Organization, inspects damages after an earthquake struck Puerto Rico before dawn, in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. (Carlos Giusti/AP)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico The Inmaculada Concepcion church, built in 1841, is seen partially collapsed after an earthquake hit the island in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, on January 7, 2020. (Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico Reynaldo Gonzalez, center, nephew of 73-year-old Nelson Martinez, who died after a wall collapsed during an earthquake, waits with family members for Martinez's body to be removed in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. (Carlos Giusti/AP)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico Workers clear a landslide on Highway 2 after an earthquake hit the island in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on January 7, 2020. (Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico People stand in front of a house where a man was killed when a wall fell on him after an earthquake hit the island in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on January 7, 2020. (Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico The Inmaculada Concepcion church, built in 1841, is seen partially collapsed after an earthquake hit Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, on January 7, 2020. (Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico The Inmaculada Concepcion church is seen partially collapsed after an earthquake hit the island in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, on January 7, 2020. (Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico Jose Graziani removes a painting after an earthquake struck Puerto Rico before dawn, in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. (Carlos Giusti/AP)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico Debris from a collapsed wall of a building litters the ground after an earthquake struck Puerto Rico before dawn, in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. (Carlos Giusti/AP)

Puerto Rico earthquake San Juan is plunged in darkness after a 6.4 earthquake rattled Puerto Rico early January 7, 2020, leaving the island largely without power. (RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images)

Puerto Rico earthquake San Juan is plunged in darkness after a 6.4 earthquake rattled Puerto Rico early January 7, 2020, leaving the island largely without power. (Photo by RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images)

Puerto Rico earthquake A collapsed building with car crushed underneath, following an earthquake in Yauco, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. (J. Miguel Santiago / Twitter via AP)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico This combo of two photos shows "Punta Ventana," or Window Point, in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico on Jan. 27, 2019, top, before it fell, and after it fell on Jan. 6, 2020 due to an earthquake. (Edgar Gracia Portello via AP, top, and AP Photo by Jorge A Ramirez Portela, bottom)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico Popular tourist landmark Punta Ventana is destroyed after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, on January 6, 2020. A 5.8-magnitude earthquake shook Puerto Rico on January 6, 2020, toppling some structures and causing power outages and small landslides, the US Geological Survey said. (Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico Seniors who live at a nursing home sit outside their residence after they were evacuated due to an earthquake in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Puerto Rico before dawn on Tuesday, killing one man, injuring others and collapsing buildings in the southern part of the island. (Carlos Giusti/AP)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico The Immaculate Concepcion Catholic church lies in ruins after an overnight earthquake in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. (Carlos Giusti/AP)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico Seniors who live at a nursing home sit outside their home after they were evacuated due to an earthquake in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. (Carlos Giusti/AP)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico A note that reads "We're well. Ceo and Ana," hangs on a fence after an overnight earthquake in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. (Carlos Giusti/AP)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico A fence and building are partially collapsed after an overnight earthquake in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. (Carlos Giusti/AP)

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Puerto Rico The Immaculate Concepcion Catholic church lies in ruins after an overnight earthquake in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. (Carlos Giusti/AP)

The quake, centered about 3 miles south-southwest of Tallaboa, occurred at 4:24 a.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor did not pose a tsunami risk, officials with the National Weather Service said in a Twitter post.

Several subsequent quakes followed, ranging from 3.7 to 5.6 in magnitude, the USGS reported.

President Donald Trump signed an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico on Tuesday night, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.

“Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency,” the statement read.

Rey Gonzalez told The Associated Press that his uncle was killed when a wall collapsed on him at the home they shared in the city of Ponce. He said 73-year-old Nelson Martínez was disabled and that he and his father cared for him.

Eight people were injured in Ponce, near the epicenter of the quake, Mayor Mayita Meléndez told WAPA television.

Officials with the Electric Power Authority, PREPA, said in a statement Tuesday that damage was reported at a power plant in southwestern Puerto Rico, knocking out power to nearly the entire island, according to USA Today. Barring any additional major damage, power was expected to be returned to the island later Tuesday, PREPA CEO Jose Ortiz said.

“We are evaluating substations throughout the island,” Ortiz said. "If no other (major) issues occur with our system we should reenergize early during the day.

Tuesday morning’s earthquake was the latest in a string of temblors reported on the island in recent days, according to Reuters. A 5.8 magnitude earthquake and a subsequent 5.1 magnitude aftershock struck the U.S. territory Monday, causing “small landslides,” damaging homes and knocking out power in some areas, according to the AP.

They earthquakes were reported as Puerto Ricans continued to recover from a pair of hurricanes that swept over the island in 2017, killing about 3,000 people and severely damaging the island’s infrastructure, Reuters reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Check back for updates to this developing story.

Puerto Rico quake A collapsed building with car crushed underneath, following an earthquake in Yauco, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. (J. Miguel Santiago Twitter via AP)