Above: a map of the quake (graphic: United States Geological Survey)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

A light earthquake caused shaking in the Dominican Republic on Friday evening, according to data from the United States Geological Survey.

The 3.6-magnitude quake, which occurred at around 9:14 PM local time, struck about 18 kilometres west of El Valle and about 70 kilometres northeast of Santo Domingo, at a depth of around 22 kilometres.

There were reports of light shaking centered in the south of the country.

There were also two light earthquakes in nearby Puerto Rico early Saturday morning, with a 2.5-magnitude quake early on Saturday and a 2.9-magnitude quake preceding it

There were no reports of damage or injuries due to the earthquakes,

Both the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico are located within one of the more seismically active areas in the Caribbean.