We search for microlensing events in fields along the Galactic minor axis, ranging from the Galactic center to -3.7{deg}<b<3.9{deg} using the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) survey near-IR photometry. The new search is made across VVV tiles b291, b305, b319, b347, b361, and b375, covering a total area of about 11.5deg^2^. We find a total of N=238 new microlensing events in this new area, N=74, which are classified as bulge red clump (RC) giant sources. Combining them with N=122 events that we had previously reported in the Galactic center (VVV tile b333), allows us to study the latitude distribution of the microlensing events reaching the Galactic plane at b=00 for the first time. We find a very strong dependence of the number of microlensing events with Galactic latitude, a number that increases rapidly toward the Galactic center by one order of magnitude from |b|=2{deg} to b=0{deg} with a much steeper gradient than with Galactic longitude. The microlensing event population shows a flattened distribution (axial ratio b/a~1.5). The final sample shows a shorter mean timescale distribution than the Galactic plane sample for both the complete population and RC stars.

Cone search capability for table J/ApJ/889/56/table2 (VVV Survey first quality microlensing events)