VENEZUELA has been hit by the biggest earthquake to strike the nation for centuries, with the 7.3 magnitude tremor felt as far as Trinidad and Colombia.
It was so big and deep it actually prevented disaster from ravaging the strap-cashed country.
Yesterday’s earthquake was the largest to strike Venezuela since 1900, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
There have been 17 previous magnitude-6 quakes and scores more smaller tremors in the region – but large earthquakes are rare.
The USGS recorded the earthquake in the coastal town of Irapa with a depth of 76 miles (123 kilometres) and tremors were felt 286 miles (622 km) away in the capital of Caracas.
Yesterday’s earthquake was the largest to strike Venezuela since 1900, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
There have been 17 previous magnitude-6 quakes and scores more smaller tremors in the region – but large earthquakes are rare.
The USGS recorded the earthquake in the coastal town of Irapa with a depth of 76 miles (123 kilometres) and tremors were felt 286 miles (622 km) away in the capital of Caracas.
Its magnitude was recorded at 7.3,
making it the largest historic event within 155 miles (250 km) within
this location in the 20th and 21st centuries, the USGS said.
Seismologist Lucy Jones, a research associate with the California Institute of Technology said the earthquake’s considerable depth likely prevented a tragedy.
She added “shaking does die off at a distance”.
Yesterday’s earthquake was the largest to strike Venezuela since 1900 (Image: GETTY-USGS)
The quake caused buildings to be evacuated but there were no injuries (Image: TWITTER-GETTY)
The USGS said earthquakes such as these with focal depths between 43 and 186 miles (70 and 300 km), are commonly termed "intermediate-depth" earthquakes.
They typically cause less damage on the ground surface than in the case with similar-magnitude shallow-focus earthquakes.
Adding: “Large intermediate-depth earthquakes may be felt at a great distance from their epicentres.
“Earthquakes have been reliably located to depths close to 180 km in this region.”
The quake, which was centred near the town of Guiria, caused buildings to be evacuated but there were no injuries.
In downtown Caracas, concrete from the top floors of the unfinished Tower of David skyscraper fell onto the pavement, which caused firefighters to close off traffic.
Concrete from the top floors of the unfinished Tower of David skyscraper fell onto the pavement (Image: EPA)
Seismologist Lucy Jones, a research associate with the California Institute of Technology said the earthquake’s considerable depth likely prevented a tragedy.
She added “shaking does die off at a distance”.
The USGS said earthquakes such as these with focal depths between 43 and 186 miles (70 and 300 km), are commonly termed "intermediate-depth" earthquakes.
They typically cause less damage on the ground surface than in the case with similar-magnitude shallow-focus earthquakes.
Adding: “Large intermediate-depth earthquakes may be felt at a great distance from their epicentres.
“Earthquakes have been reliably located to depths close to 180 km in this region.”
The quake, which was centred near the town of Guiria, caused buildings to be evacuated but there were no injuries.
In downtown Caracas, concrete from the top floors of the unfinished Tower of David skyscraper fell onto the pavement, which caused firefighters to close off traffic.
The Tower of David began in 1990 as a symbol of the OPEC nation’s ambitions of becoming a regional financial centre.
But it was abandoned after the financial crisis and in the past two decades of socialist rule it has become a symbol of urban blight and has been occupied by squatters.
The quake’s epicentre was 12 miles (20 kilometres) north-west of Yaguaraparo.
In the biggest city near the quake’s centre, Cumana, supermarket shelves came crashing down.
The quake was felt as far away as Colombia’s capital of Bogota and authorities briefly closed the international airport to inspect for runway damage.
The population of the affected region lives in communities where structures are vulnerable to earthquakes, according to the USGS.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1006741/venezuela-earthquake-caracas-latest-news-update-usgs-map-trinidad
But it was abandoned after the financial crisis and in the past two decades of socialist rule it has become a symbol of urban blight and has been occupied by squatters.
The quake’s epicentre was 12 miles (20 kilometres) north-west of Yaguaraparo.
In the biggest city near the quake’s centre, Cumana, supermarket shelves came crashing down.
The quake was felt as far away as Colombia’s capital of Bogota and authorities briefly closed the international airport to inspect for runway damage.
The population of the affected region lives in communities where structures are vulnerable to earthquakes, according to the USGS.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1006741/venezuela-earthquake-caracas-latest-news-update-usgs-map-trinidad
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