Venezuela was this afternoon hit by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake which has affected the northern part of the country.
The quake, which occurred around 4:30, had originally measured 6.7 but was later upgraded to 7.0 by the United States Geological Survey.
The quake, which was centred near the town of Guiria, was felt as far away as the capital, Caracas, where it shook buildings, witnesses said.
Buildings in Caracas have been evacuated.
The earthquake’s epicentre is around 100 kilometre from Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago’s capital city.
The quake was felt in the twin-island republic, Grenada, and other places.
The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Center said the quake, which was fairly deep, could cause small tsunami waves along the coast near the epicenter, 23 miles southwest of the town of Carupano.
A magnitude 7.3 quake is considered major and is capable of causing widespread, heavy damage, but the quake was 76.5 miles deep, which would have dampened the shaking.
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