MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said there were no reports of Filipinos injured during the two strong earthquakes that shook Venezuela on Thursday morning.
The DFA, through the Philippine Embassy in Bogota, is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela following two powerful back-to-back tremors that hit its northern coast.
The BBC reported that the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes -- which occurred just seconds apart -- caused panic in the capital, Caracas.
"As of this writing, no reports of injuries or casualties were received from Filipino nationals in Venezuela," DFA spokesman Analyn Ratonel said in a statement.
"There are an estimated 74 Filipinos in Venezuela, many of them are religious missionaries," she said.
The embassy is in touch with Filipinoss in Caracas, and in the city of Barinas.
"They have been advised to shelter safely in place and monitor local news for updates," Ratonel said.
