Buildings collapse as quakes rock Venezuela, ‘excessive casualties’ seemingly

Robust earthquakes struck west of Venezuela’s capital on Wednesday afternoon, bringing down buildings in Caracas and inflicting scientists to estimate “excessive casualties and intensive harm” to the South American nation.

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck about 160 km (100 miles) west of Caracas, with a magnitude 7.5 tremor hitting lower than a minute later, in keeping with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

“Excessive casualties and intensive harm are possible and the catastrophe is probably going widespread,” the USGS mentioned, with an preliminary demise toll estimate seemingly between 10,000 and 100,000.

Authorities didn’t instantly give estimates for deaths or accidents. “Some buildings have been introduced down (in Caracas), homes have collapsed,” Inside Minister Diosdado Cabello mentioned on state tv.

Video footage confirmed emergency staff climbing into the ruins of 1 collapsed constructing within the capital as night time started to fall.

Many Venezuelans have been at residence when the quakes hit, celebrating a public vacation commemorating an 1821 army victory which secured Venezuela’s independence from Spain.

“As quickly because it began, we started listening to folks screaming,” mentioned Astrid Ramirez, a 41-year-old publicist in western Caracas. “Everybody was operating down the steps.”

Venezuela sits on a seismically energetic tectonic area the place the Caribbean Plate collides with the South American Plate.

Residents within the capital, which was additionally rocked by a lethal magnitude 6.3 earthquake in 1967, rushed to evacuate because the quake shook buildings.

“There was a really loud crash. Issues fell in the home, jugs contained in the fridge. I’ve by no means skilled something prefer it,” mentioned Coro Martinez, 56, who lives in japanese Caracas.

Maria Romero, an 80-year-old pensioner on the south aspect of Caracas, mentioned that the police helped her get out. “This earthquake was horrible, even worse than the one in 1967,” she added.

Fireplace vehicles may very well be seen on the streets within the capital, and the facades of some buildings had suffered vital harm.

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami risk for Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands following the earthquake, including that islands off the coast of Venezuela — Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire — may be hit by hazardous waves. It withdrew the warning inside about an hour.