(A rescuer looks at the rubble of a collapsed building. Photo by News Central Tv)
Two powerful earthquakes measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 struck the same region of Venezuela on Wednesday, triggering widespread panic, structural damage, and emergency evacuations, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and eyewitness accounts.
The two tremors struck within seconds of each other, with USGS describing the sequence as a “doublet” noting that the stronger 7.5-magnitude quake was preceded by a 7.2-magnitude foreshock just 39 seconds earlier.
The epicentre was located near the coastal town of Morón, west of the capital Caracas.
In Caracas, residents fled into the streets as buildings swayed and some structures collapsed. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello confirmed injuries and structural failures, though casualty figures remained unclear at the time of reporting.
He disclosed that gas supplies had been cut to several buildings as a precautionary measure to prevent further hazards.
Among the hardest-hit areas were the districts of Trujillo, Carabobo, Miranda, and La Guaira.
In the Altamira district, a 22-storey building was reported to have been completely d£stroyed, with residents calling out for trapped relatives while volunteers conducted searches with limited equipment.
The tremors were also felt across the border in Colombia, including in Bogotá, where over 200 reports of shaking were recorded.
Authorities ruled out any tsunami risk, though aftershocks were said to remain possible across the region.
Venezuela has an extensive seismic history, with notable deadly earthquakes recorded in 1967 and 1997.
