6.3-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Venezuela

A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck western and northern Venezuela on Wednesday, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The tremor, center 27 kilometers from the oil town of Mene Grande in Zulia state at a depth of 14 kilometers, caused alarm in major cities including Caracas and Maracaibo but resulted in no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage.

Hours later, the USGS confirmed a second earthquake measuring 5.8-magnitude near the same epicenter.

The Colombian Geological Survey recorded the first quake at 6.1-magnitude and classified it as shallow, with tremors felt across Colombia and the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire.

Seismic activity of this intensity is relatively rare in Venezuela, despite nearly 80 percent of the population residing in earthquake-prone zones.

The country has not experienced a major destructive quake since 1997, when 73 people were killed in Cariaco, Sucre state. A previous disaster in 1976 claimed nearly 300 lives in Caracas and injured 2,000.

Venezuela, home to the world’s largest proven crude oil reserves estimated at 303 billion barrels, has a long history of oil-rich but vulnerable settlements like Mene Grande. 

Wednesday’s tremors underscored the risks faced by communities in this volatile seismic corridor.