Strong Earthquake Shakes Trinidad Causes Structural Damages to Many Buildings

Trinidad - A strong earthquake struck off the island of Trinidad at about 2:58 pm local time on November 29, 2007, damaging several buildings in the Island, officials and residents said. No injuries have reported. Many Trinidadians expressed shock and fears as the temblor had a preliminary magnitude of 6.6, according to an agency news.

Several residents in Port of Spain reported severe cracks to their homes and many buildings including the central bank tower of the Island nation reported damages. Most cellular telephone services were also down in Trinidad.

Galeota, the island's South West

Trinidad and Tobago, a former British colony of 1.2 million residents, has an important offshore oil and gas industry in the region.

Trinidad is one of the leading suppliers of liquid natural gas to the United States, supplying 75 per cent of imports last year.

"When the powerful earthquake struck, I was on my way to pick up my kid, I was having difficulty breathing or walking," Bindi Rajaram, working for a manufacturing company told TNS.

"I was afraid. All I could do was pray," she said.

Some people rushed home to see their children immediately after the quake which only lasted for approximately forty seconds, Asha Rajesh, accounting staff of a telecommunication company in Port of Spain said.

"but I was in a complete state of shock and so scared and did not even move out of my desk for at least 15 minutes," she added.

Another report said, the earthquake struck off many Caribbean Islands. And There is no report of a tsunami -- the epicenter was approximately 90 miles under the seabed but in shallow water.