Two powerful earthquakes struck northcentral Venezuela on Wednesday, collapsing buildings, triggering panic across the country and capital of Caracas, and prompting the U.S. Geological Survey to warn that “high casualties and extensive damage are probable.”
The USGS said a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Moron, about 130 miles west of Caracas, at a depth of about 8 miles. Just 39 seconds later, a stronger 7.5 magnitude quake struck nearby at a shallower depth of about 6 miles.
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The agency issued a red alert on its PAGER system, estimating a high likelihood of significant fatalities and infrastructural losses.
Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez declared a state of emergency following the earthquakes, which she said damaged several states, though she did not provide any figures on casualties.
“We urge our population to remain calm,” Rodriguez said. “We urge unity.”
Emergency crews were responding to reports of collapsed buildings, damaged homes, and widespread power outages following the quakes.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said rescue efforts were underway and urged residents to remain outdoors due to the risk of aftershocks. He also asked the public to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles. The governor of Venezuela’s Falcon state said there were 32 hospitalizations in the region, with 15 people still trapped four hours after the quake. Falcon is northwest of Carabobo, the state where the epicenter of the earthquake was.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau offered American support for Venezuela, saying the United States is “in touch with authorities and mobilizing assistance.”
Videos posted on social media showed residents fleeing into the streets as buildings crumbled and dust filled the sky. The tremors were felt across neighboring Colombia, where some buildings were evacuated as a precaution.
The U.S. tsunami warning system briefly issued tsunami alerts for Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands before later canceling them.
Venezuela sits along the boundary where the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates interact, making earthquakes a recurring hazard. While the country experiences hundreds of small earthquakes each year, Wednesday’s destructive shock is less common.
Several other seismic events were reported across the world in the past 24 hours.
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Earlier Wednesday, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake rattled Northern California near Redwood Valley in Mendocino County, injuring several people, knocking out power, and triggering dozens of aftershocks. Officials reported no fatalities or major structural collapses.
Later, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off Japan’s northeastern coast early Thursday local time. Japanese officials reported no immediate injuries or significant damage, and no tsunami warning was issued.
