CARACAS (Reuters) – A 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit Venezuela near the small Caribbean coastal town of Carupano, the United States Geological Survey said yesterday.

The quake, at a relatively shallow depth of 7.3 miles, was centered about 24 miles southwest of Carupano and was felt in Puerto La Cruz, where state oil company PDVSA has a refinery.

PDVSA said it had no immediate reports of damage.

“Everyone felt it. People are very alarmed,” a resident of Puerto La Cruz, Maria de los Angeles Rondon, told Reuters by telephone.

Radio reports said the tremor was felt in a wide area stretching to the Caribbean island of Margarita, a popular holiday destination for European tourists.
Initial USGS reports had put the quake at 5.7 magnitude.