We search for microlensing events in fields along the Galactic minor axis , ranging from the Galactic center to -3.7 < b < 3.9 deg. , using the VVV survey near-IR photometry .
The new search is made across VVV tiles b 291 , b 305 , b 319 , b 347 , b 361 and b 375 , covering a total area of about 11.5 deg . ^ { 2 } .
We find a total of N = 238 new microlensing events in this new area , N = 74 of 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 b 333 ) , allows us to study the latitude distribution of the microlensing events reaching the Galactic plane at b = 0 ^ { 0 } for the first time .
We find a very strong dependence of the number of microlensing events with Galactic latitude , number that increases rapidly towards 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 \approx 1.5 ) .
The final sample shows a shorter mean timescale distribution than the Galactic plane sample for both , the complete population and RC stars .