Moderate earthquake strikes near Boa Vista and Guyana

An earthquake of magnitude 5.9 was felt in Boa Vista, Brazil and in Guyana at around 15:05h Sunday, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ).

It was reported that the earthquake hit at a shallow depth of 10 km beneath the epicenter near Boa Vista, in the Brazilian state of Roraima.

These shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface. And based on the Richter Magnitude scale for earthquakes, a 5.9 earthquake falls between the ranges of moderate to strong.

Importantly, the exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.

Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicenter.

A release  from the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) noted that the Regional Emergency Operations Centre reported that the tremor was felt Upper in Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region (Region 9) , but there were no reports on any losses or damages.

“The Civil Defence Commission will continue to monitor this event through the National Emergency Monitoring System (NEMS) and provide updates as more information becomes available.”

If you would have suffered any damages from the impact, kindly contact NEMS at (592) 600.7500 or at (592) 623.1700.