Key takeaways:
- A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck near Yumare 39 seconds after an earlier quake near San Felipe, according to reports citing the U.S. Geological Survey.
- Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez declared a state of emergency and said Caracas airport was closed because of heavy damage.
- The U.S. Geological Survey warned that high casualties and extensive damage were probable, while Venezuelan authorities had not released casualty figures.
Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela less than a minute apart Wednesday evening, collapsing buildings in Caracas, damaging the capital’s airport and prompting warnings that casualties could be high.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the first quake hit near San Felipe and the second, larger one struck 39 seconds later near Yumare. NBC News reported the first epicenter was about 100 miles west of Caracas, while Al Jazeera, also citing the USGS, put the two quakes at about 176 and 182 miles west of the capital. Al Jazeera reported the first quake had a magnitude of 7.2 and struck at 22:04 GMT; both outlets reported the second quake had a magnitude of 7.5.
“High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread,” the USGS wrote on its site, according to NBC News. Al Jazeera also reported the agency said high casualties and extensive damage were “probable.”
Authorities had not released a casualty toll. Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez declared a state of emergency and said on state television that the airport in Caracas had been closed because of heavy damage. She expressed condolences to Venezuelans who lost relatives and said 20 aftershocks had been recorded.
The quakes were among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century, NBC News reported.
In Caracas, residents fled swaying buildings and gathered outside, shaken by the force of the tremors. Some saw entire walls collapse, exposing furniture from the street. Dust columns rose in two neighborhoods of the capital, where restaurants and other businesses are typically busy. A video posted online and verified by NBC News showed dust billowing across part of the Caracas skyline.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said the earthquake was felt in several states and that the Altamira neighborhood of Caracas had “alarming situations” involving collapsed homes and buildings. He suggested people had been injured and urged drivers to clear roads for ambulances and emergency vehicles.
“We understand that some people may be desperate, but we are acting according to protocols to activate aid and rescue efforts to help those who need it most,” Cabello said on state television. “Be very careful with children and the elderly; call each other and check that no one has been harmed.”
Cabello also urged residents to remain outside because aftershocks could further weaken damaged structures.
At Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas, footage posted on social media by Wilmer Azuaje, an elected representative for Barinas State, showed falling debris and people running for cover, Al Jazeera reported.
“The stairs came away, the whole wall cracked,” AFP quoted Odalis Escalona, a 54-year-old bank employee in Caracas, as saying, according to Al Jazeera. “Things fell from the ceiling. It was horrible.”
Roberto Damas, a Caracas resident, described a violent shaking that made it difficult to move.
“The building really shook from side to side. Unreal. The force was incredibly strong,” Damas said. “We were walking and it was tossing us around. Everything in the apartment fell. Well, thank God we were able to get out.”
The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami alert for the Virgin Islands. Authorities in the Dominican Republic also issued an alert for the island, while a separate alert for Puerto Rico was quickly lifted.
Be First to Comment