Another earthquake has hit a Latin American nation. Nicaragua experienced an earthquake on Thursday that shook the nation's capital and was followed by strong aftershocks.

According to the United States' Geological Survey an earthquake of 6.2 on the Richter scale was detected 11 miles to the southeast of the city of Larreynaga at a depth of 6.2 miles, reports Voz de America.

Soon after, the earthquake was followed by a 5.1 aftershock. Only one person as of now has been declared dead with dozens others injured. Yet, that was not the last of the tremors felt by Nicaraguans. Less than 24 hours after Thursday's quake, another earthquake was felt in the area. Measured to be 6.6 on the Richter scale, the new quake's center was about 35 miles south of the capital Managua, according to the Globe and Mail.

The government, before the second quake, had raised an emergency alert and had revised the number of injured from 23 to almost 200. Although no new damages or casualties were yet caused by the second earthquake, the first one damaged about 300 houses in the capital and destroyed another 20, said Fidel Moreno, one of the mayor's deputies.

"We're trying to take as many preventive measures as possible to prevent more deaths," said government spokeswoman and First Lady Rosario Murillo. The city's hospitals began discharging patients with minor injuries to free up beds in case of an increase in wounded. The city also decided to tear down two old buildings, which had survived the deadly 1972 quake, but now were deemed too unstable.

By raising the emergency alert level, President Daniel Ortega prompted the closing of government offices in the capital as well as schools and businesses in the northwest city of Leon. The government also evacuated 155 people out of neighborhoods northeast of the capital in case of landslides.