Following Tuesday afternoon’s shaking that resulted from an earthquake in neighbouring Venezuela, Guyanese were met with more vibrations after an aftershock rocked the Spanish-speaking country on Wednesday and experts are saying that another earthquake could occur again.
According to information obtained, residents across several areas of Guyana again felt another earth tremor at about 09:30h on Wednesday after an aftershock measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale was recorded in Venezuela. However, these vibrations where not as intense as those felt on Tuesday. Region One (Barima-Waini) Chairman Brentnol Ashley told this newspaper on Wednesday that the aftershock lasted less than one minute.
“You could hear things making noise because of the trembling but it wasn’t for very long. There is no report of anything being damaged as yet,” Ashley said.
However, Guyanese could be bracing themselves for more unsettling movements since experts at the UWI Seismic Research Centre are predicting that another earthquake in eastern Venezuela can be expected. UWI Seismologist, Dr Joan Latchman has said that another earthquake is possible, noting that there have been at least seven aftershocks so far.
There have been early reports of structural damage to buildings, as well as cracks in floors and roads in Venezuela and Trinidad after the earthquake hit Tuesday. The SRC put the earthquake at a depth of 73 kilometers and it was felt in the northern parts of South America and several Caribbean nations, including Trinidad. The 7.3 magnitude struck Venezuela at about 17:30h on Tuesday and many said that it was the worst they had felt in recent memory.
