SANTA ISABEL, Mexico (BNO NEWS) – A series of strong earthquakes struck off of Baja California in Mexico just minutes apart on Monday afternoon, officials told BNO News.

The first earthquake struck about 47 miles northeast of Santa Isabel in Mexico and had a magnitude of 5.8, according to a spokesman for the United States Geological Survey. The tremor struck at 1.55 p.m. EDT, following by a second earthquake at 2 p.m. EDT. The second earthquake had a magnitude of 6.9. The two earthquakes were located between six and nine miles deep, which makes them shallow extremely earthquakes. Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more severe damage than deeper earthquakes.

Two more earthquakes followed soon after the first events, with a 5.0 magnitude aftershock at 2.33 p.m. EDT (located 6 miles deep) and a 5.9 magnitude earthquake at 2.40 p.m. EDT. The last earthquake struck 69 miles from Santa Isabel, at a depth of 6 miles.

Although no tsunami warnings were issued, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially warned there was a risk of local tsunamis. “Earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a few hundred kilometers of the earthquake epicenter,” a statement from the agency said. Around 3 p.m. EDT, the danger of such local tsunamis had passed.

There was no immediate word on damage or casualties from the earthquakes. A spokesman for the United States Geological Survey told BNO News he expected the earthquake to be felt in the area, but said it was not a densely populated area. He did not want to speculate on the potential damage the earthquake may have caused. The spokesman described the first earthquake, which had a lower magnitude than the second earthquake, as a “foreshock”, followed by the “main event” and several aftershocks.

People from as far away as Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Diego reported feeling the earthquakes.

Further details were not immediately available, but aftershocks may continue for several days.