…houses, roadways damaged
Several houses and roadways were damaged on Sunday afternoon following a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in the Deep South area of Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) that was felt throughout Guyana.
The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) shortly after the tremor reported the earthquake with a shallow depth of 10 kilometres and an epicentre near Boa Vista in the Brazilian State of Roraima, which borders Guyana’s Lethem, at about 15:05h. 
Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface.
In a subsequent update, Director General of the CDC, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig said the regional authorities in Region Nine confirmed that there are some damages to properties and earth surfaces as a result of the earthquake that shook several parts of the country.
He noted that the Regional Response System is mobilised and ready to conduct an assessment and give support to affected families.
Craig also shared some photos from the Facebook page of Karlos Kroft showing damages to at least two houses and the earthen road in the Katoonarib community, Deep South, Rupununi.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) issued a yellow alert for economic losses, that is, while some damages are possible the impact is relatively localized.
“Estimated damages is less than 1% of GDP of Guyana. Past events with this alert level have required a local or regional response level,” the USGS noted.
The agency further noted that the overall population in the affected region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking though resistant structures exist. 
“The predominant vulnerable building types are mud wall and informal (metal, timber, GI etc) construction,” it stated.
USGS added that there were no other earthquakes with significant population exposure to shaking within a 400-kilometre radius of Sunday’s tremor.
Following the earthquake, persons from various regions across Guyana took to social media after having felt the tremor.
Nevertheless, 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.
