Two huge earthquakes strike Venezuela at 7.2 & 7.5 magnitudes as fears thousands dead after buildings collapse
TWO huge earthquakes have struck Venezuela at magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 – with thousands feared dead after buildings collapsed.
Harrowing footage showed the aftermath of the major quakes – with survivors emerging from the wreckage and locals searching the rubble.
Wednesday’s quakes were a “doublet”, with a magnitude 7.2 foreshock followed just 39 seconds later by a larger 7.5 mainshock.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) warned casualties could be “high” and extensive damage may have been caused by the violent shaking.
There is no official word on deaths or injuries yet as authorities scramble to take stock of the massive amount of damage.
But the USGS gave a 39 per cent chance that between 10,000 and 100,000 people would have died.
Videos posted to social media following the shocks showed buildings fallen over and dust hanging in the air.
Apartment buildings appeared to have collapsed in the coastal town of La Guaira.
Emergency services were seen assessing the damage as others searched through the rubble.
Shocking pictures showed debris scattered across the streets in the aftermath of the shake.
Locals were also seen hugging loved ones as they scrambled to safety.
Survivors were also seen being pulled away from the rubble.
The major shakes occurred about 17 miles northwest of Venezuela’s Montalban region.
The temblors struck at a depth of 13 km, with residents in Caracas rushing to evacuate buildings amid the chaos.
There were reports of mass panic in the city as locals were heard screaming while buildings swayed from side to side.
Crowds of people were seen in the streets as they waited for the powerful shaking to subside.
Witnesses in the Venezuelan capital said they were rushed outside, with others saying cracks formed in their apartment walls as glass windows shattered.
Many Venezuelans were at home celebrating a public holiday commemorating Venezuela’s independence from Spain when the temblor hit.
Maria Romero, an 80-year-old pensioner in Caracas, said: “This earthquake was horrible, even worse than the one in 1967.”
The US Tsunami Warning System had issued a threat for Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands following the earthquake.
They warned islands off the coast of Venezuela – Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire – could also be hit by hazardous waves.
