Bermuda's squash players were left shaken on two fronts yesterday when they bowed out of the CAC Games squash tournament in El Salvador and experienced an earthquake.

The quake, measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale, jolted the adrenaline levels of 4,000 athletes gathered for the Games in San Salvador, but caused no injuries or damage.

The tremor hit at 12.19 a.m. local time, around the time Bermuda were taking on El Salvador in the team event. The epicentre was about 37 miles south of San Salvador, on the Pacific Coast.

"They (the athletes) got a scare . . . especially the ones from the Caribbean," said a spokesman for the Games Village, located north of the El Salvadorian capital.

Bermuda's director of squash Ross Triffitt was unable to be contacted at the tournament but his team of James Stout, Mel Caines and Nick Kyme went down 2-1 to their hosts.

The Island's gymnasts, meanwhile, will begin their challenge today.