5.7 magnitude earthquake rattles Rupununi

Last Updated on Sunday, 31 January 2021, 16:18 by Denis Chabrol

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake Sunday afternoon rocked a large part of Rupununi in southern Guyana and parts of northern Brazil, according to the United States Ge0logical Surveys and residents in the area.

“We just heard grrrrrrrr grrrrrr. The zinc sheets were rattling. We more than felt it, we heard it,” said Marguerite Bagot, a resident of Lethem.

The tremor started at about 3:07 PM and lasted several minutes.

The USGS said the quake was at a depth of 9.7 kilometres and 83 kilometres from Lethem, the capital of Region Nine (Upper Takatu- Upper Essequibo).

Lethem Mayor John Macedo said the quake was “pretty strong’, causing one 0f his guests to exit the Kanuku Hotel as a matter of precaution. “I felt the tremor. All the walls and windows were shaking,” he told News-Talk Radio/ Demerara Waves Online News.

The Mayor said he did not receive any preliminary reports of any damage or destruction caused by the quake. “It seems as though it hasn’t had any significant impact,” he said.

The Civil Defence Commission , which responds to natural and man-made disasters, said so far there was no evidence of damage or destruction. “The Regional Emergency Operations Centre reported that the tremor was felt in Region 9 but there were no reports or any losses or damages. The Civil Defence Commission will continue to monitor thorough the National Emergency Monitoring System and provide updates as more information become available,” the state agency said.

From all accounts so far this is the strongest quake to have rattled the Rupununi.