Stunning before-and-after pictures show the collapse of a spectacular rock formation in Puerto Rico as 2 major earthquakes hit the island

Puerto Rico earthquake collapse
Puerto Rico earthquake collapse

Screenshot/YouTube; Getty Images

  • One of Puerto Rico's best-known tourist attractions collapsed, and one man was killed, amid a series of earthquakes that have hit the Caribbean island this week.

  • Puerto Rico was hit by a 5.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday and a 6.4 magnitude quake on Tuesday.

  • One man has been killed and a further eight injured, according to the Associated Press, while the whole island has lost power.

  • The destruction included the collapse of Punta Ventana — a stone arch formation popular with tourists.

  • Photos show a stunning before and after of the arch, with the top of the formation collapsed after the quake.

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A famous stone arch formation in Puerto Rico was destroyed Monday during a week of earthquakes in the Caribbean.

The well-known tourist attraction, known as Punta Ventana, collapsed Monday after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coast of Puerto Rico.

"Playa Ventana has collapsed. Today our icon rests in everyone's memory," a press officer for the council of the Guayanilla region, where the stone formation was located, said in a Facebook post.

After the arch's collapse, Puerto Rico on Tuesday was rocked by an even more powerful earthquake, which registered a 6.4 magnitude.

One man was killed and a further eight people were injured by Tuesday's earthquake, according to the Associated Press.

As well as the collapse of the famous arch, homes collapsed, and cars were wrecked by the two seismic events.

Before the earthquake Punta Ventana was a popular tourist attraction and looked like this.

The 'arch' Punta Ventana
The 'arch' Punta Ventana

YouTube/News Today AzThe top of the arch collapsed, however, after Puerto Rico was hit by the 5.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday.

Punta Ventana, is destroyed after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico on January 6, 2020.
Punta Ventana, is destroyed after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico on January 6, 2020.

RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty ImagesThe Guánica lighthouse, another landmark in Puerto Rico, suffered damage as a result of the earthquake.

Landmark destroyed in Puerto Rico earthquake
Landmark destroyed in Puerto Rico earthquake

(Photo by RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images)The lighthouse was built by the Spanish in 1892, and though the tower survived, one of the walls collapsed, as can be seen below.

Puerto Rico lighthouse destruction.
Puerto Rico lighthouse destruction.

RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images

Source: NBC News

Tuesday's earthquake, which struck near the city of Ponce on the southern part of the island, was the most powerful of a series of earthquakes in recent days.

Earthquake Puerto Rico .JPG
Earthquake Puerto Rico .JPG

REUTERS/Ricardo OrtizAlbert Rodrigues, a resident of Guánica, reported tsunami sirens going off, which he said officials later canceled.

Puerto Rico earthquake damage
Puerto Rico earthquake damage

RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images

Source: The Guardian

This home in Guánica collapsed and was surrounded by the bricks that formerly held it up.

Puerto Rico earthquake 1 .JPG
Puerto Rico earthquake 1 .JPG

REUTERS/Ricardo OrtizResidents whose homes were destroyed remained outside on the streets or went to shelters to avoid further danger from aftershocks or damaged buildings.

people in a shelter in Puerto Rico following the earthquake
people in a shelter in Puerto Rico following the earthquake

RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images

Source: The Associated Press

Mayor María Meléndez told the local newspaper El Nuevo Día that a 73-year-old man in the southern city of Ponce was confirmed dead.

woman outside a collapsed house in Puerto rico
woman outside a collapsed house in Puerto rico

RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images

Meléndez said the man died after a wall fell on him in his home, according to the BBC, which cited El Nuevo Día.

Source: BBCEl Nuevo Día

An island-wide power failure was announced by the Electric Power Authority after two power plants were damaged.

power outages in Puerto Rico
power outages in Puerto Rico

RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images

Source: Time, the Associated Press

"I've never been so scared in my life," Nelson Rivera, a 70-year-old resident in Ponce, told the AP.

Puerto Rico earthquake .JPG
Puerto Rico earthquake .JPG

REUTERS/Ricardo Ortiz

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