Venezuela was hit by two powerful earthquakes within a minute of each other on Wednesday, collapsing buildings and sending residents fleeing onto the streets. The U.S. Geological Survey warned that the successive quakes could cause thousands of casualties and widespread damage.
Earthquake Details
A magnitude 7.2 foreshock took place near San Felipe, the capital city of Yaracuy state, just after 6:04 p.m. ET. This was followed by a larger 7.5 magnitude quake, some 23 kilometers southeast of Yumare, a town in Yaracuy state, home to some of the country’s largest oil refineries.
The quake was strong enough to be felt in states across the country, as well as in neighboring Colombia, hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter. In the capital Caracas, about 300 kilometers from the quake’s epicenter, at least three buildings partially collapsed in the wealthy eastern neighborhoods near Altamira Square.
Response and Damage
Venezuela has declared a state of emergency, with a high-level task force created to oversee search and rescue operations. Simon Bolivar Airport near Caracas has temporarily closed after suffering damage, and school classes will be suspended nationwide for a week.
Security forces have been deployed across Venezuela, given the risk of many structures collapsing. The government has also authorized the shut-off of direct gas supplies to certain buildings as a preventative measure while authorities assess damaged structures.
Original reporting: KCCI Des Moines — read the source article.
