Key facts
- Two earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, struck Caracas, Venezuela.
Two powerful earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck Venezuela's capital, Caracas, causing panic and damage. Residents evacuated to streets, fearing aftershocks, with reports of collapsed buildings and power outages.
The earthquakes highlight Venezuela's vulnerability to seismic activity and the immediate impact on its population, infrastructure, and emergency response capabilities. The event underscores the ongoing challenges faced by the country, including potential damage to already strained infrastructure and the psychological toll on residents.
Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela's capital, Caracas, on Wednesday, causing widespread panic and damage. The first tremor registered a magnitude of 7.2, followed shortly by a second measuring 7.5. Residents, including journalist Nicole Kolster, described intense shaking and fear of building collapse. Many evacuated their homes and remained on the streets for hours, fearing aftershocks. Photos and videos emerging from the affected areas, particularly the Palos Grandes district, show collapsed buildings and people in distress. Residents reported power outages and loss of phone signal. Some individuals expressed sadness over not being able to rescue pets, while others attempted to move vehicles from basement parking, fearing further structural damage. Calls for help were heard from rubble near a collapsed building. For some residents, like 56-year-old Coro Martinez and 80-year-old Maria Romero, the recent quakes were described as worse than the 1967 earthquake that killed over 200 people in Caracas. The tremors occurred on a national holiday, the commemoration of the Battle of Carabobo.