Northern Venezuela was shaken by two powerful earthquakes that occurred less than a minute apart. Damage to buildings has been reported in the country’s capital, Caracas. Exact figures for fatalities and injuries are currently unavailable, but their number could be significant.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the first tremor, with a magnitude of 7.2, was registered around 6:00 PM Eastern American Time. It was almost immediately followed by a second one, with a magnitude of 7.5. The epicenters of both earthquakes were located approximately five kilometers from each other, near the city of Morón on the Caribbean coast, which is about 160 kilometers west of Caracas.
Footage of damaged buildings and falling debris at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas appeared on social media. Following the earthquakes, airport operations were suspended.
Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced a state of emergency in the country. According to her, several states have sustained damage. Rodríguez called on citizens to remain calm and united.
According to the USGS, the 7.5 magnitude earthquake was the strongest in Venezuela since 1900, when a tremor of magnitude 7.7 was recorded in the country. The U.S. Geological Survey also predicts a high probability of strong aftershocks in Venezuela in the coming days.
Approximately half an hour after the events in Venezuela, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake occurred off the eastern coast of Japan. Earlier the same day, a 5.6 magnitude tremor was registered in Northern California. No reports of serious damage were received in these cases.