Major earthquake hits Venezuela; heavy damage reported

A major magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck northern Venezuela, with initial reports of collapsed and heavily damaged buildings in the region. The earthquake was also strongly felt in Caracas.

The earthquake happened west of Caracas and was centered 28 kilometers (17 miles) northwest of Montalbán, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). It struck at a depth of 13.2 kilometers (8.2 miles).

Images and video shared on social media appeared to show buildings collapsed or heavily damaged, though the full extent of the damage was not immediately clear. Other footage from Caracas showed cracked walls inside apartment buildings.

There was no immediate official word on casualties.

Venezuela sits along the boundary between the Caribbean and South American plates and has experienced damaging earthquakes in the past, including the 1967 Caracas earthquake, which killed hundreds of people, and the 1997 Cariaco earthquake in eastern Venezuela.

More recently, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck off northeastern Venezuela in 2018 and was felt widely across the country and parts of the Caribbean, though major damage was limited.

This is a developing story. We are monitoring for updates.