A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck northwest Venezuela on Wednesday, jolting several states and sending tremors as far as the capital, Caracas, according to multiple geological agencies.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) placed the epicentre near Mene Grande, a town in Zulia state about 600km (370 miles) west of Caracas. The quake was recorded at a shallow depth of 7.8km (5 miles). Tremors were strong enough to prompt evacuations of homes and office buildings in western Venezuela and along the Colombian border.
No casualties or damage have been confirmed.
Mene Grande, on the eastern shore of Lake Maracaibo, sits at the heart of Venezuela’s oil-producing region. The country holds the world’s largest proven reserves, making the area strategically important to its economy.
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Reports on the quake’s magnitude and depth varied. Colombia’s Geological Survey confirmed a 6.1 quake of shallow origin. The German Research Centre for Geosciences listed it as a 6.3 at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles). Venezuela’s Foundation for Technological Research, cited by Communications Minister Freddy Ñáñez, reported two separate quakes of 3.9 and 5.4 affecting Barinas and Zulia states. Ñáñez did not address the USGS reading.
The tremor was also felt in parts of neighbouring Colombia, with residents in several border towns describing sudden shocks that rattled buildings.
Venezuela has experienced frequent seismic activity, particularly in the oil-rich western region near tectonic fault lines. Wednesday’s quake, though widely felt, was far less destructive than the 2018 7.3-magnitude event that shook northern Venezuela and was felt across the Caribbean.