An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 on the Richter scale struck northwestern Venezuela on Wednesday night, September 24, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The epicentre of the quake was reported at a depth of 14 kilometres, 27 kilometres from Mene Grande, an oil town in the sparsely populated area of the state of Zulia.
The recent quake was felt in the capital of Caracas, more than 600 kilometres away. Some buildings shook, prompting many residents to leave their apartments. "There is no significant tsunami threat from this earthquake, therefore no action is require," said USGS. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries due to quakes.
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CCTV footage and videos surfaced on the internet, which show structures shaking and people rushing out into the streets from their houses and apartments. However, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said, there is no significant structural damage.
One of the videos shared on X (formerly Twitter) shows a family rushing out of the house in panic in Maracaibo after its collapse due to strong jolts of earthquake. The CCTV footage is from 11.52 pm on Wednesday night.
Another footage shared by a X user saying nearly "230,000 people felt strong to very strong shaking near epicenter." He further stated that major tremors were felt as far as the capital Caracas and across the Colombian border. A clip he shared shows furniture in house has fallen due to jolts.
In a video, it can be seen that an earthquake of magnitude 6.3 caused damage to the historic Santa Bárbara Church in Maracaibo.
One of the CCTV footages from Zulia state of Venezuela, also shows people at the grocery store rushing in panic outside the store, including staff, after a powerful quake.
In Venezuela, where strong quakes are not common, shaking buildings caused alarm in cities including Caracas and Maracaibo. About 80% of Venezuelans live in seismic zones, but the country has not had a major event since 1997, when 73 people died when a quake hit Cariaco in the eastern state of Sucre.