Trinidad-based Seismologist, Dr. Joan Lutchman, has warned that there will be stronger earthquakes in the region following a massive quake which rocked a number of countries in the Caribbean late Tuesday afternoon.
The 7.3 magnitude quake shook Trinidad and Venezuela the strongest, but it was felt in many islands in the Caribbean.
Dr. Lutchman said the quake was consistent with what was being observed in the Gulf of Paria and what was being projected by seismologists.
She described the event as “significant” with the last one of such magnitude in Trinidad taking place in 1968.
“But it is still not the strongest earthquake that we can have in our area,” she warned. “So we can consider this as another one of those events that keep us aware that our region, our area here is seismically active and strong earthquakes will occur, can occur and will occur and even stronger than what we have had will occur at some stage.”
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck 12 miles northwest of Yaguaraparo, Venezuela at a depth of 76 miles.
The earthquake was felt in Grenada, Guyana, Barbados and St. Lucia. Many in Dominica took to social media to say they felt the quake on the island.
Reports indicate that people in Guyana and Grenada ran out onto the streets in panic during the quake.
The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center reported that there were at least seven aftershocks from the earthquake, about one every three minutes.
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