The city of Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, recorded the occurrence of two powerful earthquakes that caused extensive damage to the international airport and led to the collapse of multiple large buildings.
Considered among the most significant seismic events in Venezuela’s trajectory, the tremors occurred in quick sequence and could be perceived in several regions of the country. However, the greatest damage was observed in the capital and its surroundings, with records on digital platforms showing the desperation of individuals who ran through the corridors of Maiquetía airport, seeking refuge from the falling rubble.
Data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) indicate that Venezuela was affected by two tectonic events: a main shock measuring 7.5 on the magnitude scale and an initial tremor measuring 7.2, which preceded it by 39 seconds. The focal point of these earthquakes was determined west of the town of Morón, located on the country’s Caribbean coastal strip, approximately 168 kilometers (104 miles) west of Caracas. The depth of the main earthquake was estimated at 13 kilometers (8 miles).
“We observed a seismic event that, according to all evidence, significantly exceeded 7 points. There are several locations in a delicate situation, with visually worrying scenarios, where buildings and residences have collapsed,” said the Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello, in a statement to state broadcaster VTV.
Minister Cabello also warned about the imminent risk of secondary tremors, which are common after phenomena of such magnitude and can cause the collapse of already fragile buildings. For this reason, the government representative made a public appeal for the population to remain in open areas, seeking safety and preserving tranquility. This alert is crucial to avoid new tragedies, given the history of additional collapses in post-seismic scenarios.
In Altamira, a high-end residential neighborhood in Caracas where numerous embassies are located, a correspondent witnessed the collapse of at least three buildings. The earthquakes hit the town last Wednesday, a little after 6pm.
Preliminary information suggests that individuals were trapped under the debris, although the exact toll of injuries and fatalities was not immediately released. In one of the affected locations, a person was seen in tears, calling out his grandmother’s name, afraid that she was inside the structure.
Thick clouds of dust were seen rising over the metropolis, while videos recorded residents abandoning seriously compromised buildings, taking their belongings and pets with them.
“Many are injured inside. It’s a calamity,” reported a man in recordings made near a building that collapsed in the San Bernardino neighborhood, located in the north of Caracas.
In the Baruta region, a suburb of Caracas, civil defense teams used stretchers to remove those affected from ruined buildings, following a landslide triggered by the tremors.
The mayor of Baruta, Darwin González, released a video on digital platforms that showed the rescue of a woman amid the wreckage. In his post, he requested: “We ask the population to maintain serenity and civility at this time.”
The exiled Venezuelan opponent and Nobel Prize winner, María Corina Machado, used the X platform to express her solidarity. “My heart, my never-ending hug and my prayers are with every Venezuelan household in these hours of distress. May resilience, calm and cooperation guide us through this challenging moment,” she wrote.