The first shock of the earthquake occurred at 0:16 GMT and was followed by several strong aftershocks . The quake was most widely felt in the Chinandega and León departments of Nicaragua , though it was also felt elsewhere in Nicaragua at El Crucero , Managua and San Marcos and at San José in Costa Rica . It was the strongest seismic event to hit Nicaragua since the earthquake of 1972
earthquake of 1972
1972 Nicaragua earthquake
1992 Nicaragua earthquake