A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Venezuela, according to reports. A tsunami warning was subsequently issued for Puerto Rico by the U.S. National Weather Service.
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Venezuela shortly before 01:23 Thursday, and by 01:28 Jerusalem the U.S. National Weather Service's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had issued a tsunami warning for Puerto Rico. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the tremor, which was felt across the region; no immediate casualties were confirmed in initial reports.
This update follows our thread on the same event: at 01:28 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that a tsunami warning had been issued for Venezuela and nearby islands after the 7.1 quake, based on the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center's alert. Moments later, also at 01:28, we published video evidence from an on-the-ground outlet confirming partial building collapses in Venezuela following a further quake, with the tsunami warning for Puerto Rico still in effect. The source base has thus evolved from a single center's alert (the warning center) to corroboration by Reuters (citing residents reporting cracks in buildings) and visual evidence of structural damage.
As The Zioneer reported earlier this week, the Caribbean region has experienced elevated seismic activity: a magnitude 6.1 earthquake off Cuba's coast was recorded on June 8, and a magnitude 5.3 quake struck western Cuba on June 16, both without reported damage. The current event is significantly more powerful and has already triggered tsunami warnings and confirmed damage.
The exact epicenter location and the full extent of damage in Venezuela remain unclear from available reports. No casualties have been officially confirmed, and the duration of the Puerto Rico tsunami warning is yet to be updated by authorities.
4 developments
- StrongMagnitude 5.6 earthquake strikes Venezuela, days after devastating quakes
- StrongChannel 14 reports: Powerful earthquake in Venezuela; fears of thousands dead, trapped
- StrongUS Geological Survey warns of high likelihood of casualties, extensive damage in Venezuela earthquake
- StrongLarge fire rages in La Guaira after Venezuela quakes; rescue efforts continue
Source and signal
- Open-source intake