A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake strikes near the Cayman Islands

A 7.6-magnitude earthquake rocked the Caribbean, around 130 miles southwest of the Cayman Islands, causing a tsunami alert for adjacent islands on Saturday evening, according to The Weather Channel.

The tremor struck around 6:23 p.m. EST, about midway between the Cayman Islands and Honduras, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The epicenter of the earthquake occurred around 125 miles south-southwest of George Town in the Cayman Islands, at a depth of around 6 miles.

According to NOAA, the seismic event has placed Haiti, Belize, and the Bahamas at risk of tsunamis, while Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have received a tsunami alert.

Tsunami waves are expected to reach Puerto Rico's western shore around 8:48 p.m. EST (9:48 p.m. local time). This is around 30 minutes before the first waves are expected to arrive in the Virgin Islands.

The US National Tsunami Warning Center warns of tsunami waves ranging from 3 to 10 feet near the coast of Cuba.

There is no threat of tsunamis reaching the US Gulf or East coastlines.