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Thursday, April 18, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Venezuela Rattled Pre-Dawn by 5.5 Quake; People Flee

A strong earthquake has jolted Venezuelans from their sleep, forcing residents in the capital to evacuate buildings in their pajamas before sunrise. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A strong earthquake has jolted Venezuelans from their sleep, forcing residents in the capital to evacuate buildings in their pajamas before sunrise. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The 5.5 magnitude quake struck just before 5 a.m. Thursday and was centered near the town of San Diego, 100 miles west of Caracas, the capital. It had a depth of 6 miles and was felt across seven states.

Photos on social media showed large cracks to some buildings and fallen debris from historic facades in San Diego.

The quake follows a magnitude 7.3 earthquake in August — the country's strongest in more than a century — that rattled residents across Venezuela and was felt as far away as in neighboring Colombia and Guyana.

Categories / Environment, International

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