Severe 7.1 earthquake shakes much of Venezuela, Colombia and the Caribbean.

The quake, whose epicenter was recorded some 400 kilometers east of Caracas, was felt strongly in the vast majority of the country's cities, forcing millions to leave their homes.

The event also shook Colombia, the islands of the Caribbean and press reports highlighted that neighboring Trinidad and Tobago suffered serious infrastructure damage.

The force of the earthquake was of such magnitude that also came to feel strongly in Colombian and Ecuadorian localities.

The United States Geological Survey reported that the tremor had a depth of 123.2 kilometers and the epicenter was located 20 kilometers north-northeast of the Yaguaraparo locality, Sucre state.