Series of strong earthquakes rattle Venezuela, Colombia as residents flee
Shocks centered in Venezuela’s Zulia and Trujillo states prompt evacuations; authorities assess damage and monitor aftershocks; no injuries reported so far.
A series of strong earthquakes rattled western Venezuela and neighboring Colombia on Wednesday and Thursday, triggering panic and prompting residents to flee their homes and businesses amid fears that tremors could cause structures to collapse. The U.S. Geological Survey said at least four earthquakes occurred, ranging from magnitude 6.3 to 4.9, beginning Wednesday night in the states of Zulia and Trujillo and continuing into Thursday, with the latest event reported in the early hours of the day.
Tens of thousands of people across the region felt the tremors, including in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital. There were no confirmed injuries, but officials said damage assessments were underway in several communities. Hospitals and civil protection authorities coordinated Interior response plans and prepared to respond if further shaking occurred as surveys progressed.
Video clips circulating on social media captured some of the scenes: in one, workers at a restaurant were talking and listening to music when the tremor intensified, prompting them to exit the building quickly. In another, a man playing a video game paused and moved toward the door as items began to rattle inside his apartment and the scene outside became chaotic.
In Mene Grande, a town in Zulia state, medical workers checked patients in front of the Luis Razeti Hospital the day after a 6.3-magnitude quake shook the city, illustrating the reach of the tremors. Authorities noted that the sequence began late Wednesday night and continued into Thursday morning, with the latest event confirmed early Thursday.
At this stage, officials stressed that no injuries had been reported in initial damage assessments and urged residents to stay alert as surveys continued. The earthquakes highlighted the region's vulnerability to seismic activity, with seismologists and emergency management teams maintaining close monitoring and coordinating with the U.S. Geological Survey to update the public on aftershocks and potential subsequent events.
The episodes were felt across multiple parts of Venezuela and neighboring Colombia, reinforcing the need for ongoing vigilance in a seismically active area. While the immediate human toll appeared limited at the outset, authorities said they would release more information as teams completed structural inspections and communities returned to normal activity.