The population of Caracas, the main city in Venezuela, strongly felt the effects of the earthquakes last Wednesday (24), even though the focus of the tremors was approximately 160 kilometers west of the town.
Stephen Hicks, renowned researcher and professor of environmental seismology at University College London, clarified that the likely reason for this phenomenon lies in the way in which the seismic wave spread from its initial point.
“When a seismic fracture expands toward an inhabited region, the energy released by the tremors tends to concentrate along that path, resulting in ground oscillations that are more severe than expected under other conditions,” Hicks told the Science Media Center.
The professor added that “this situation was observed in Caracas, which was in the direct trajectory of the seismic rupture that advanced towards the east, and the intensity of the tremor may have been even greater due to the extensive sedimentary deposits present under several areas of the Caracas valley.”
Karen Lythgoe, a freelance researcher at the Natural Environment Research Council at the University of Edinburgh, noted that the seismic fracture extended to the east, towards Caracas, but possibly stopped moments before reaching the city.
“This particularity justifies the strength of the shock in Caracas, since all seismic waves are concentrated in the same direction of the seismic rupture,” she informed the Science Media Center.
Venezuelan capital accounts for at least 25 fatalities
At least 164 individuals died and another 971 suffered injuries as a result of the earthquakes that hit Venezuela, the most severe in more than a century, as communicated by interim president Delcy Rodríguez.
In the capital Caracas, at least 25 deaths were confirmed, according to a statement by Mayor Carmen Meléndez. This count is already included in the overall total of reported victims.