An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 on the Richter scale shook the western Venezuelan region of Apure, close to Colombia, with no significant victims or damage reported so far, the Venezuelan Foundation for Seismological Research (Funvisis) reported on Monday.
According to Funvisis, the earthquake occurred 22 kilometers from El Nula, a small agricultural town in the state of Apure with less than 30,000 inhabitants.
The depth of the earthquake, which some residents of the state of Táchira – also close to Colombia – said they had felt, was 5.0 kilometers.
After 11:00 p.m. local time (03:00 GMT on Tuesday), no fatalities or damage had been reported.
In the face of earthquakes of a similar magnitude, Funvisis has called on citizens in the past to remain calm, as it points out that events of this nature “are normal in Venezuela,” a “seismic country,” which is “in an important geodynamic context. and complex due to the interaction between the Caribbean and South American plates.
The agency has also urged citizens “to promote seismic culture in order to reduce the vulnerability” of buildings and structures in the country, remembering that earthquakes are events “that occur without prior notice, which is why there are to be prepared to face them.
Venezuela experienced an earthquake of magnitude 6.9 on August 21, 2018 with an epicenter in the “southeast of Yaguarapano”, in the east of the country, which left various damage to buildings.
That has been the largest earthquake that has been registered in the Caribbean country in recent years, although it did not leave fatalities.