…as magnitude 7.3 earthquake hits Venezuela
…tremors felt in Trinidad, other Caribbean islands
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake occurred off Venezuela on Tuesday evening and was felt as far as the Eastern Caribbean.
The quake, which occurred around 5:31 pm, was centred near the Venezuelan town of Guiria, and was felt as far away as the capital, Caracas, and far beyond. Residents of neighbouring Guyana, as well as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines reported feeling strong shaking.
Witnesses reported seeing and feeling their homes and contents shaking as the tremor continued for as long as 15 seconds. The University of the West Indies’ Seismic Research Unit measured the earthquake 6.8 at a depth of 73 kilometres, but the magnitude was later upgraded to 7.0 by the United States Geological Survey. The position of the earthquake in Venezuela was placed at 55 kilometres east southeast of Carúpano, 95 km northeast of Maturín, and 131km southeast of Porlamar.
Widespread damage
Meanwhile, reports out of Trinidad and Tobago said there has been widespread damage as a result of the earthquake that shook the region on Tuesday afternoon. According to the Trinidad Express buildings have sustained structural damage, cars have been flattened by falling concrete and supermarkets are reporting losses. The newspaper also reported that there is also significant loss of telecommunication.
The initial magnitude is 6.8, with a magnitude of 7.2 being reported at the epicentre in Venezuela. According to the theory of Plate Tectonics, earthquakes are caused by the movement of plates. The Earth’s crust is made up of huge slabs of rock called plates which fit together like an uneven jigsaw puzzle. The region where two or more plates meet is called a plate boundary. The plates are constantly moving but this plate movement is neither smooth nor continuous, rather the plates often lock together causing a build-up of energy. When the plates eventually move out of this locked position the energy that is released may be felt as an earthquake.
Barbados
The Barbados Today reported that for a few minutes parts of Barbados were rattled by the earth tremor. Residents from St Lucy to St Philip reported that they felt minor shaking.
