Two 7+ magnitude earthquakes hit Venezuela, with major damage reported in Caracas

Two earthquakes, the first with a magnitude of 7.2 and the second with a magnitude of 7.5, were reported Wednesday evening in northwestern Venezuela, according to the US Geological Survey. There was widespread damage in Venezuela’s capital and largest city, Caracas, with video and photos showing collapsed buildings and search and rescue workers searching for survivors.

At a press conference on Wednesday night, acting president Delcy Rodriguez he said Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar International Airport was closed and classes were canceled in schools nationwide.

The first earthquake was located 17.6 kilometers northwest of the city of Montalbán, the USGS said, and struck at a depth of 8.2 miles. It was previously reported as a 7.1 magnitude quake before it was upgraded to 7.2.

Less than a minute later, a second earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 struck just north of the first. It was centered 21 kilometers northwest of Montalbán.

“This earthquake was the second event in a doublet, this 7.5 magnitude earthquake was preceded by 39 seconds before the 7.2 foreshock,” the USGS said.

These earthquakes are among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century.

The exact extent of the damage and the death toll were not yet clear. Venezuela’s state television station, Venezolana de Televisión, reported that the earthquake was felt across the country.

The quake briefly prompted tsunami advisories for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, according to the National Weather Service’s US Tsunami Warning System. Those advisories were later withdrawn.

People live in the streets of Caracas for hours, even after sunset. Others were sitting on the ground hugging their pets as the dust filled them. Fallen buildings, downed power poles and debris blocked roads. Parts of the capital have lost power and mobile signal.

The lack of cell phone signal in parts of Venezuela deepened the distress of many families, especially those among the more than 7.7 million people who have fled the country during the protracted crisis.

People evacuated the moving buildings in Caracas and lived outside, many were shocked as they saw all the walls that had collapsed, leaving furniture visible on the street. Columns of dust can also be seen in two areas of the capital, where restaurants and other businesses are usually busy.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said the tremors could be felt in several provinces, adding that the Altamira area of ​​Caracas had “shocking conditions” of collapsed houses and buildings. He urged people to stay outside because the earthquake could damage some buildings.

“We understand that some people may be desperate, but we are acting according to the regulations so that relief and rescue efforts can be implemented to help those who need it most,” Cabello said on state TV. “Be very careful with children and old women, call each other and see if anyone is injured.”

He also urged people to stay outside because the earthquake may damage some buildings.

Maria Alejandra, a woman who escaped from a collapsed building in Caracas, told Reuters that “all the walls were cracked” when the earthquake struck.

“We were able to open the door however we were able to,” he said. “There was smoke that didn’t allow us to see. And when we came down, the scene was like a horror movie. We had to climb over the debris and everything. The superintendent of the building and the child and all the neighbors came down. But in that building, I saw that only one family came out.”

An Agence France-Presse reporter saw a 22-story building completely destroyed in the Altamira neighborhood of Caracas, where people cried out the names of relatives as volunteers picked through the rubble.

“It started well and slowly grew, and in the end, we all had to leave our houses, go outside and come together,” said Caracas resident Hector Ricci.

“The building was really shaking from side to side. It’s unusual. The force was incredibly strong,” said Caracas resident Roberto Damas. “We were walking and it threw us, everything in the apartment fell. Well, thank God we were able to get out.”

Exiled Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado wrote on X, “My heart, my endless hugs, and my prayers are with all the homes of Venezuela in these hours of grief. May strength, calm, and unity prevail among us in this difficult time.”

Buildings in Manaus, Belem and Macapá in the Brazilian Amazon have been evacuated, according to TV Globo reports.

The quake was also felt in Colombia’s Caribbean and northeastern regions, but no damage or injuries were reported. The Colombian Maritime Authority said in a statement that the country’s Caribbean coast is not at risk of a tsunami.

Strong earthquakes are not uncommon in Venezuela.

While the country sits along many fault lines, its position leading to the South American and Caribbean plates makes earthquakes less common than other parts of Latin America. Along the Pacific coast – in Mexico and Chile, for example – earthquakes are common. Those two countries sit along a seismically active tectonic belt known as the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” which accounts for 90% of earthquakes, according to the USGS.