Venezuela has been hit by a series of powerful earthquakes, prompting a tsunami warning
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Two powerful earthquakes shook north-central Venezuela on Wednesday afternoon, collapsing buildings in the capital Caracas, and residents of neighboring Colombia also reported shaking.
The US Geological Survey said the first earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1 and its epicenter was west of the community of Morón, along the Caribbean coast, about 168 kilometers west of Caracas. The earthquake had a depth of 13 kilometers.
The USGS reported an even larger 7.5-magnitude earthquake a minute later.
The second earthquake had a depth of 10 kilometers and its epicenter is 16 kilometers southwest of Morón.
These earthquakes are among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century.
Tsunami warnings
The US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami threat for Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands after the earthquake, adding that islands off the coast of Venezuela – Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire – could also be hit by dangerous waves.
Many Venezuelans were at home when the earthquake struck, celebrating a public holiday commemorating the 1821 military victory that secured the country's independence from Spain.
Residents of Caracas rushed to evacuate as the first tremor shook buildings.
Maria Romero, an 80-year-old pensioner who lives in southern Caracas, said police helped her out of her building. “This earthquake was terrible, worse than the one in 1967,” he added.
Many residents in Caracas lost power or internet service shortly after the quake.
An eyewitness said there were cracks in the side of their house and the glass in the entrance was shattered. The power went down quickly, the witness said.
“Several walls in my building were broken or cracks formed,” a witness from Valencia, west of Caracas, told Reuters. “As soon as it stops [shaking]My husband and I went [the building].”
Venezuela's interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, said the tremors could be felt in many provinces, adding that the Altamira area of Caracas had “shocking conditions” with houses and buildings collapsing. He urged people to stay outside because the earthquake could damage some buildings.
Cabello also suggested that people were injured in the earthquake, and asked drivers to make way for ambulances and other emergency vehicles.
“We understand that some people may be desperate, but we are acting according to the principles so that the relief and rescue efforts work to help those who need it the most,” Cabello said on state television. “Be very careful with children and old women, call each other and see if anyone is injured.”
