Nicaragua begins repairing houses damaged in earthquakes

The Nicaraguan government will begin on Monday repairing or improving the 2,354 houses affected by last week's strong earthquakes, the government's lead spokeswoman said Sunday. In the west municipality of Nagarote, one of the most affected ones, the government will build some 600 new houses and repair a similar number, First Lady Rosario Murillo told a press conference. Last Thursday, a 6.2-magnitude quake hit Nicaragua, followed by a 6.6-magnitude one striking on Friday and several aftershocks. On Sunday, Murillo presented a report on the country's seismic activities. She announced that the "red alert" is being kept in Nicaragua's Pacific coast in case of more quakes. She also said that Health Ministry has fumigated shelters to avoid the spread of diseases such as a dengue fever, and is also providing medical services in affected areas. "We are still under alert because earthquakes continue occurring, though the intensity has decreased. On Sunday, a quake hit near Telica volcano (west)," said Murillo. "We are sharing information about seismic activities with Venezuelan friends who have helped us to execute all necessary actions to safeguard the lives of the people," added Murillo.