6.2 magnitude earthquake rocks Southern Caribbean

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake shook several islands in the southern Caribbean just before midnight, striking east-northeast of Venezuela’s coast in the Caribbean Sea.

The UWI Seismic Research Center (UWI SRC) reported the quake occurred at 11:58 pm (local time) at a depth of 46 km. According to the UWI SRC’s Automatic Earthquake Location system, the quake’s impact was felt:

• 97 km east-northeast of Carúpano, Venezuela
• 97 km west-northwest of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
• 119 km northwest of San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago

Social media users reported feeling the tremor in Trinidad and Tobago, northeastern Guyana, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) initially reported the earthquake as having a 6.0 magnitude, located 29 km northeast of Yaguaraparo, Venezuela, with a depth of 87.4 km.

Power outages in Trinidad

Power outages were reported in parts of north and northwest Trinidad, including Carenage, Santa Cruz, North Coast Road, and Glencoe, but Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales confirmed that electricity was restored by Sunday morning.

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Despite the intensity of the quake, which some residents said lasted over 10 seconds, no significant damages were reported. This 6.2 magnitude quake is the strongest recorded in Trinidad and Tobago for 2024, surpassing the previous 5.2 magnitude quake reported by the UWI SRC earlier this year.