Powerful earthquakes struck west of Venezuela’s capital on Wednesday afternoon, collapsing structures in Caracas, trapping residents amid rubble, and raising concerns about severe casualties and extensive damage throughout the nation.
A magnitude 7.2 quake struck roughly 160 kilometers (100 miles) west of Caracas, and less than a minute later a magnitude 7.5 tremor followed, as recorded by the US Geological Survey (USGS).
“High casualty figures and extensive damage are probable, with the impact expected to be widespread,” the USGS noted, initially projecting fatalities between 10,000 and 100,000.
Authorities have not yet released an official national death or injury count, yet local officials and eyewitnesses reported numerous collapsed structures, ongoing rescue efforts, and a rising tally of injured individuals.
Video footage captured emergency personnel navigating the debris of a collapsed building in the capital after dark, as frantic family members sought assistance locating missing relatives.
In the eastern Caracas district of Chacao, Mayor Gustavo Duque informed Globovision that two buildings had collapsed, 16 individuals were injured, and fatalities had occurred, though an exact death count was not provided.
“We will exert every effort to rescue as many people as possible,” he affirmed.
Residents rush into streets
Many Venezuelans were at home when the quakes struck during a national holiday commemorating the 1821 military victory that secured the nation’s independence from Spain.
“As soon as it began, we started hearing people scream,” recalled Astrid Ramírez, a 41‑year‑old publicist in western Caracas, “and everyone began rushing down the stairs.”
Residents throughout Caracas, still remembering a deadly magnitude 6.3 quake in 1967, hurried to evacuate as the structures trembled.
“There was an enormous crash; items fell, jars rattled inside the refrigerator,” recounted 56‑year‑old Coro Martínez of eastern Caracas, “and I have never felt anything like it.”
Maria Romero, an 80‑year‑old pensioner residing in southern Caracas, reported that police escorted her from her home. “This earthquake was terrible, even more severe than the 1967 event,” she added.
Another resident, a 41‑year‑old office employee who chose to remain anonymous, said she received an earthquake alert on her phone just before the shaking intensified.
“It was an ordinary afternoon, and then my phone issued an earthquake alert,” she recounted. “Upon picking it up, I initially felt a light tremor, but within two seconds the entire environment began to move.”
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who has been governing the nation since the United States removed President Nicolás Maduro in January, has announced a new era of collaboration with the United States and other nations, particularly in oil, mining, and related sectors.
Hospitals brace for injured
Fire trucks traversed the streets of Caracas, where several buildings sustained notable facade damage.
At Caracas’ Hospital de Clínicas, staff were instructed to double up on the night shift to assist the injured, a hospital worker reported. Video from the facility displayed a dimly lit hallway with ceiling panels suspended by cables and scattered plaster fragments on the floor.
Additional social media videos appeared to depict substantial damage at Venezuela’s main airport, while residents reported collapsed structures in La Guaira, a coastal city adjacent to Caracas. Reuters has been unable to independently verify the airport and La Guaira footage.
Certain Caracas municipalities announced the suspension of classes and local events through Monday as authorities commenced assessments of the damage.
Tsunami alert withdrawn
The US Tsunami Warning System initially issued a tsunami threat for Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands following the quake, also cautioning about hazardous waves potentially impacting Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire; the advisory was lifted about an hour later.
Venezuela lies in a seismically active zone where the Caribbean Plate meets the South American Plate.
An estimated 30,000 people were killed when a powerful quake caused widespread destruction in the cities of Merida and Caracas in 1812, according to the USGS.
