Two powerful earthquakes struck early Thursday night near Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. At least 32 have died.
At least 32 people have lost their lives after two powerful earthquakes hit Venezuela.
This was announced by the country’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, on Thursday morning, according to the Reuters news agency.
– At present, we have received reports of 32 deaths and more than 700 injured, she says in a speech to the nation.
She adds that the authorities do not yet have an overview of the situation in the town of La Guaira, which she refers to as the hardest hit area. The city is located north of Caracas.
– The first earthquake struck early Wednesday local time – shortly after midnight Danish time – and had a calculated magnitude of 7.2. Less than a minute later, another earthquake struck with an estimated magnitude of 7.5.
This appears from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) website.
Risk of thousands of dead
On the night of Thursday, the USGS estimated that between 10,000 and 100,000 people may have lost their lives.
– There is a risk of many deaths and extensive damage, and the disaster will probably be widespread, read the message from the USGS.
The epicenter of the earthquakes is about 160 kilometers west of Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, where tremors sent people into the streets.
– Some buildings have collapsed and houses have collapsed, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said earlier in the night on state television, according to Reuters.
Hit during public holiday celebration
Many Venezuelans were at home when the earthquake struck because the country celebrates the Battle of Carabobo holiday on June 24, which is considered the decisive victory in the country’s 1821 war of independence against Spain.
– This earthquake was terrible – even worse than the one in 1967, says 80-year-old pensioner Maria Romero, who lives in the southern part of Caracas, to Reuters.
She says the police helped her get out and to safety.
Videos show emergency vehicles moving out in several places in Caracas, while there has been extensive damage to the facades of several buildings, writes Reuters.
Several residents of the Venezuelan capital have also lost access to electricity and the connection to the Internet.
– Several walls in my building have cracks or fissures, an eyewitness in the city of Valencia told Reuters.
According to AFP, the tremors could also be felt in neighboring Colombia’s capital, Bogota.
Immediately after the earthquake, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a tsunami warning for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. The warning has since been cancelled.
/ritzau/
