A series of earthquakes shook the western region of Venezuela between Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, with the epicenter in the state of Zulia, on the border with Colombia.
The strongest reached a magnitude of 6.3, according to official reports.
The Colombian Geological Service reported on the social network X that the first earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.3, was felt on Wednesday night in several western regions of the country, including Caracas.
The epicenter was located in the town of Mene Grande, Zulia state, with a shallow depth.
Earlier, the Venezuelan Foundation for Seismological Research (Funvisis) had reported an earthquake of magnitude 5.4 in the same area.
Subsequently, multiple aftershocks continued to be recorded, forming a seismic swarm that was active for hours.
In the early hours of this Thursday, Funvisis reported a new tremor with a magnitude of 6.0 at 03:51 (local time), with the epicenter located 45 kilometers east of Bachaquero and 59 kilometers north of Isnotú, in the state of Trujillo, at a depth of 16.4 kilometers.
Another seismic event of magnitude 3.9 occurred shortly after, at 04:24, at a depth of 8.5 kilometers. In total, at least 21 aftershocks and 10 earthquakes have been recorded since the onset of activity, according to Venezuelan authorities.
The executive vice president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, reported that no fatalities have been reported and that safety protocols have been activated throughout the country.
"A tectonic fault is active in the western part of the country," it was stated in remarks released in official media.
Inhabitants of the states Zulia, Táchira, Mérida, Lara, Trujillo, Barinas, and Aragua, as well as those in Caracas, reported feeling the tremors via social media.
The governor of Zulia, Luis Caldera, stated to the EFE agency that possible damages to infrastructures such as hospitals, bridges, and churches are being assessed following the initial earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4. So far, no severe structural damage has been confirmed.
The Colombian Geological Service also detected an earthquake of magnitude 6.1 with its epicenter in Venezuela, followed by a tremor of 4.3, with no reports of damage in Colombian territory.
Additionally, during the early hours of this Thursday, several seismic movements were recorded in the southwest of Mexico, in the area of Emiliano Zapata, with magnitudes of 5.7, 5.1, and 4.4, within a span of five hours.
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