A tsunami warning is in effect for the pacific coast of Costa Rica.
CNN affiliate Teletica showed people streaming out of buildings after the quake.
Telephone service was knocked out in the cities near the epicenter, Teletica reported.
The quake hit close to Samara, a coastal area on the Pacific some 151 kms (94 miles) from the capital city.
I do know Mel Gibson formerly had a home near Samara. It hit just about 11:00am EST.
Not much more news at this hour. Pray for the very kind people of Costa Rica. One of the few very Ecologically minded countries in the world.
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This earthquake was the biggest earthquake in Costa Rica since a 7.6 quake in 1991 left 47 dead. More recently, 40 died in a 6.1 magnitude quake in January 2009.
"It was terrible. I was on the third floor, I had never felt anything like it," said Stephanie Gonzalez, a 25-year-old masters student.
The quake's epicenter was in western Costa Rica about 87 miles from San Jose, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, and it was felt as far away as Managua, the capital of neighboring Nicaragua.
"It was very strong, everyone is getting out because of the tsunami alert," said a worker at the Samara Tree House Inn on Costa Rica's Pacific coast.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for Pacific coastlines of Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama.
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