Venezuela, where one of the largest Portuguese communities in the world lives, with about 80% of the country’s population living in seismic high -risk areas, did not register an earthquake with at least this intensity since Cariaco in 1997, which caused 73 dead.
The Venezuelan Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, who cited data from the Venezuelan Foundation for Scientific and Seismological Investigations (Funvisis), said that “The earthquake had a magnitude of 5.4, but did not cause significant structural damage.”
“The fact that there was no significant structural damage with a magnitude 5.4 earthquake, which is considerable, is due to the quality of the constructions in Venezuela,” he added.
The geological service of neighboring Colombia registered an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 in the same zone, referring to a “International seismic event”, Since the shake was also felt in Colombia and some Caribbean islands.
The earthquake was registered at 18:21 hours of Caracas (22:21 hours in Lisbon) and, according to local press, was felt in the Capital District and the states of Zulia, Lara, Yaracuy, Portuguese, Carabobo, Táchira and Trujillo, and in some zones of Colombia.
According to the shake
A second earthquake of magnitude 6.3 occurred 4 kilometers from the first, at 23:51 (03:51 TGM from Thursday), according to the USGS, and was felt in Caracas, where the buildings trembled, leading many residents to abandon the houses.
This earthquake was also felt throughout the east of Colombia, to the capital, Bogota.
Venezuela, where one of the largest Portuguese communities in the world lives, with about 80% of the country’s population living in seismic high -risk areas, did not register an earthquake with at least this intensity since Cariaco in 1997, which caused 73 dead. In 1967, an earthquake in Caracas caused 283 dead, according to Funvisis.
Several Portuguese told Lusa telephonely that the second earthquake felt intensely in the center of Caracas and lasted several minutes.
“I was nervous, worried. I was on the computer and felt that the table shuddered and that the windows and windows of the windows vibrated. I deleted the TV and got off the 7th floor to the floor of the ground. While descending, several people opened the doors and dogs they barked constantly,” explained a Portuguese.
Resident in La Candelaria, Maria Severim, said he has lived in Venezuela for over 40 years and that he felt several earthquakes, but that he realized it was “stronger and longer”.
Mene Grande is on the eastern coast of Lake Maracaibo, an important area for the country’s oil industry. Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world.
