Buildings crack and crumble as strong earthquake rocks Venezuela’s capital – tsunami alert issued
Tens of thousands are feared to have died after Venezuela was hit by back-to-back earthquakes.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the first termor registered at 7.2 magnitude and at a depth of 13 kilometres.
Less than a minute later, a larger magnitude 7.5 tremor hit.
“High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread,” the USGS said.
Initial estimates have the death toll ranging from 10,000 to 100,000.
Authorities did not immediately provide official estimates for deaths or injuries.
“We have buildings, homes and houses which have collapsed and we are taking care of things with everything we have available in terms of security, civil assistance,” Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said on state television.
“The fire department, police all have been activated.”
Videos showed emergency personnel climbing through the ruins of a collapsed building in the capital as night fell and distraught relatives seeking help for loved ones.
“As soon as it started, we began hearing people screaming,” said Astrid Ramirez, a 41-year-old from the west of the capital. “Everyone was running down the stairs.”
Residents across Caracas, which was also hit by a deadly magnitude 6.3 earthquake in 1967, rushed to evacuate as buildings shook.
PICTURED: Destruction on the streets of Venezuelan capital Caracas. ‘High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread,’ the USGS said
|
REUTERS
“There was a very loud crash. Things fell in the house, jugs inside the refrigerator. I’ve never experienced anything like it,” said Coro Martinez, 56, who lives in eastern Caracas.
Maria Romero, an 80-year-old pensioner in southern Caracas, said police helped her get out of her home. “This earthquake was horrible, even worse than the one in 1967,” she said.
Caracas locals were seen rushing out of buildings as the quake rocked their homes.
One witness said that cracks had formed up the side of their apartment and glass in the building had been shattered.
Images from the scene showed that destruction repeated at a huge scale.
Caracas residents were seen rushing out of buildings as the tremors erupted
|
X
Fire engines were seen on the streets of Caracas, where some buildings suffered significant damage to their facades.
Videos from the Hospital de Clinicas Caracas showed ceiling panels hanging by cables in a darkened hallway, with pieces of plaster scattered across the floor.
Other videos on social media appeared to show significant damage at Venezuela’s main airport.
Residents also said buildings had been wrecked in La Guaira, a coastal city near Caracas.
The National Assembly said in a message to lawmakers that it had cancelled Thursday’s session.
VENEZUELA – READ THE LATEST:
It is currently unknown whether any casualties have occurred as a result of the temblor
|
X
Authorities also issued tsunami threats for Venezuela, Aruba and Bonaire.
Advisory threats have also been issued to Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands, according to the US Tsunami Warning System.
The USGS has reported the epicentre is roughly 17 miles west of the Moron community on the country’s Caribbean coast.
It is currently unknown whether any casualties have occurred as a result of the quake.
Residents in neighboring Colombia have also reported feeling tremors.
Venezuelan interior minister Diosdado Cabello told state media that buildings have collapsed in Caracas after the earthquake
| GETTY
In the country’s capital, Bogota, a number of residents have been evacuated as a precaution.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello told state media that buildings have collapsed in Caracas after the earthquake.
When the quake hit, many Venezuelans were at home celebrating a public holiday commemorating an 1821 military victory which saw the country gain independence from Spain.
A witness living in the west of the city said that a number of walls in her building had burst open, with cracks forming across the outside of her home.
“As soon as it stopped (shaking) my husband and I evacuated,” she added.
The earthquake is believed to be one of the strongest earthquakes in the country’s history.
In 1967, around 300 people died and 1,536 were left injured after a 6.6 magnitude shake struck Caracas.
The natural disaster caused an estimated $140million (£106.1million) worth of damages and triggered four major apartment buildings to collapse.
