Earthquake in Bolivia felt in Brazil, buildings evacuated

An earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale and coming from Bolivia was felt in Brasília, the country’s capital and seat of the government, and in the states of São Paulo, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, and Minas Gerais at around 11 am on Monday (Apr. 2). The magnitude was reported by the São Paulo University Seismology Center.

In central São Paulo, a number of buildings were evacuated. Footage released on social media shows workers leaving their offices and occupying the sidewalks. In the downtown area, the State Prosecution Service building was also emptied. The quake was also felt in the north part of the city, according to the local fire department.

The quake was also perceived in municipalities in the countryside of São Paulo, like Marília, and coastal Santos.

Brasília

In Brasília, buildings to the north of W3, one of the city’s main thoroughfares, were evacuated and its occupants guided by firefighters.

“We received a number of calls. No victims were reported, and no structure was damaged. People felt the tremor, but no issue was detected in the buildings inspected,” declared Captain Ronaldo Reis, from the fire department.

Firefighting teams and civil defense agents from across Brasília and neighboring cities were reported to have been engaged in the assistance of the population.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira