Monster quake terrifies T&T: Damage widespread

Reports are beginning to come in of widespread damage as a result of an earthquake that shook the region on Tuesday afternoon.

 

Buildings have sustained structural damage, cars have been flattened by falling concrete and supermarkets are reporting losses.

There is also a significant loss of telecommunication being reported.

The initial magnitude is 6.8, with a magnitude of 7.2 being reported at the epicentre in Venezuela.

And on Independence Square in Port of Spain, items were sent tumbling from their shelves at Back to Basic Supermarket.

What is an earthquake?

According to the theory of Plate Tectonics, earthquakes are caused by the movement of plates. The Earth’s crust is made up of huge slabs of rock called plates which fit together like an uneven jigsaw puzzle. The region where two or more plates meet is called a plate boundary. The plates are constantly

moving but this plate movement is neither smooth nor continuous, rather the plates often lock together causing a build-up of energy. When the plates eventually move out of this locked position the energy that is released may be felt as an earthquake.