A strong earthquake hit Venezuela and Trinidad on Friday, knocking out power across much of the Caribbean island and sending thousands of people in Venezuela into the streets, according to Reuters. Callers to local radio said there had been structural damage to some buildings in Trinidad, which was the epicenter of the 6.1 magnitude quake. But authorities in both countries, which are separated by just a few miles (kilometers) of the Caribbean Sea, said there were no reports of serious injuries. In Venezuela, the world's No. 5 crude exporter, there were no reports of damage to energy installations, although the state oil company said its officials were still checking their facilities after much of the east of the country shook during the quake. Similarly, initial reports showed energy installations escaped unscathed in Trinidad. Still, frightened residents on the island scurried into the streets as bottles fell off shelves and smashed in their homes. Telephone lines swayed violently overhead. An international airport in Trinidad was evacuated and flights canceled as officials checked for any structural damage to its buildings. As a precaution in case any aftershocks caused more damage, local authorities ordered people to evacuate many buildings in major cities in Venezuela. In the capital Caracas, which is more than 350 miles (600 km) from Trinidad, 10,000 people were briefly ordered outside, the mayor said. The U.S. Geological Survey's earthquake monitoring center said the quake hit at 9:08 a.m. (1308 GMT) at a depth of 38.9 miles (62.6 km). Such a magnitude typically can cause considerable damage to poorly built structures, and slight-to-moderate damage in well-built structures. In Trinidad, which is a major supplier to the United States of liquefied natural gas, there was no damage or disruption to operations at the country's only plant, Atlantic LNG, company spokesman Billson Hansley said. Atlantic LNG is a joint venture between the state-owned National Gas Co. and British, Spanish and French companies. In the country's capital, Port of Spain, BP Plc.'s head office was evacuated. It was not immediately clear if the company's off-shore gas and oil operations were affected by the quake.
