An earthquake measuring at least magnitude 6.1 on the Richter scale has struck in northwest Venezuela, according to several geological research organisations, sending tremors across the South American country, including the capital Caracas.

Tremors were also felt in several other states in Venezuela, as well as over the border in neighbouring Colombia, with residential and office buildings evacuated along the frontier.

No damage or casualties have been reported so far.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake struck on Wednesday, with the epicentre located 24km (15 miles) from the community of Mene Grande in Zulia state, about 600km (370 miles) west of Venezuela’s capital Caracas.

The USGS recorded the earthquake’s depth as 7.8km (5 miles).

The town of Mene Grande, located on Lake Maracaibo’s eastern coast in Venezuela’s far northwest, is an important area for Venezuela’s oil industry. The South American country has the world’s largest proven oil reserves.

The Colombian Geological Survey measured the earthquake at magnitude 6.1 and described it as “shallow depth”, while the German Research Centre for Geosciences recorded the earthquake as magnitude 6.31 and striking at a depth of 10km (6.21 miles).

Venezuela’s Communications Minister Freddy Nanez said the state’s Venezuelan Foundation for Technological Research reported two earthquakes with magnitudes of 3.9 and 5.4.

Nanez said the stronger of the two rocked Barinas state, with the second occurring in Zulia state. He did not address the quake recorded by the USGS.

Venezuela is located near several fault lines caused by interaction between the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates, with about 80 percent of the country’s population living in active seismic zones.

Five major earthquakes have struck Venezuela’s north in the last century – including a magnitude 7.2 quake off its northern coast in 2018 – causing more than 400 deaths.