5.5 quake hits southern Caribbean, no damage reported

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao – A 5.5-magnitude earthquake has shaken the southern Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela but caused no reported damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake hit Friday morning just before 10 a.m. local time about 40 miles (60 kilometers) southeast of Aruba. It occurred at a depth of a little more than 6 miles (10 kilometers) offshore from the city of La Vela de Coro.

The quake was felt as far away as the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, as well in Aruba, Curacao and other nearby islands. It followed a smaller earthquake that occurred in the same region before dawn on Friday.