earthquakes were also reported in many states in Venezuela and spread to neighboring Colombia, forcing many apartment buildings and offices along the border to be evacuated.
There have been no reports of damage or casualties.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake had a focal depth of 7.8km, located 24km from Mene Grande town in Zulia state (Venezuela), about 600km west of the capital Caracas.
Mene Grande is located on the eastern shore of Maracaibo Lake in the far northwest of Venezuela, an important area for the country's oil industry. The Colombia Geological Survey explains that the center of the earthquake was relatively close to the ground, so local people could clearly feel the shaking.
According to the German Geological Research Center, the earthquake reached 6.31 degrees richter, at a depth of 10km.
Venezuela is located near many acute disruptions due to the interaction between the Caribbean and South America, with about 80% of the population living in areas at high risk of earthquakes.
There have been five major earthquakes in northern Venezuela in the past century. Including a 7.2-magnitude earthquake offshore in 2018, which killed more than 400 people.
