Small earthquake reported in Buenos Aires City minutes after the opening ceremony of the G20 Summit

The National Institute for Seismic Prevention (INPRES) of Argentina detected a 3.8 earthquake with epicenter 32 kilometers (20 miles) south of the city of Buenos Aires. The mild seism lasted briefly, just minutes after the opening ceremony of the G20 Summit.

People in the suburbs of Buenos Aires and the city of La Plata felt the quake, while an overflow of messages in social media described it.

Steve Herman, correspondent for Voice of the Americas, tweeted: "I was sitting next to @GalloVOA in the @WhiteHouse press filing center here in Buenos Aires and we heard this rumble and saw the chandeliers sway slightly. I assured him that as a veteran of many seismic events this was not an #earthquake. Wrong."

Alejandro Giuliano, director of INPRES, confirmed the news: "Our seismographs registered it: it was a small quake". Both the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre and the US Geological Survey confirmed the quake at 3.8-point, hitting at 1.27pm GMT, and with a depth of 25 kilometers (15 miles).

This activity is very unusual in Buenos Aires. Irene Pérez, geologist at INPRES, said that "it is not common" and that the seisms in the area "happen at very widely spaced intervals and are low-intensity", according to TN.

The scientist also said that this small tremor did not cause damages and that it was originated by the shifting of plates.
Pérez added that the latest seismic activity in Buenos Aires dated from November 2016, when a 4-point quake was detected, and August 2016, when "an event of similar characteristics" hit the area, also with a 3.8 magnitude.

Infobae reached to the emergency management authorities, Defensa Civil, in La Plata. They confirmed that many reports were filed immediately after 10:30, by concerned neighbors of the city.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Magnitude: M 3.8
Region BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
Date time 2018-11-30 13:27:38.0 UTC
Location 34.90 S ; 58.48 W
Depth 25 km
Distances 33 km S of Buenos Aires, Argentina / pop: 13,077,000 / local time: 10:27:38.0 2018-11-30
25 km SE of Pontevedra, Argentina / pop: 33,600 / local time: 10:27:38.0 2018-11-30

For Infobae's complete coverage of the Group of 20 summit in Argentina: www.infobae.com/america/g20-summit-2018/

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