“Back-to-back powerful earthquakes slammed Venezuela on Wednesday evening, collapsing buildings in the capital of Caracas and leaving residents shaken,” reports the Associated Press.
The first earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1. Its epicenter was located about 100 miles from Caracas, in Morón, on Venezuela’s Caribbean coast. The quake had a depth of about 14 miles.
The second earthquake hit a minute later, and was even bigger, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake. The second earthquake had a depth of 6 miles. Its epicenter was 10 miles southwest of Morón.
The earthquakes are the strongest to strike Venezuela in over 100 years.
“The earthquakes struck shortly after 6 p.m. local time. People evacuated swaying buildings in Caracas and remained outside, many visibly shocked as they saw entire walls that had collapsed, making furniture visible from the street. Dust columns could also be seen in two neighborhoods of the capital, where restaurants and other businesses are typically busy. People remained on the streets after sunset. Some sat on the ground hugging their pets as dust gathered around them,” the AP says.
In January, a powerful earthquake struck Mexico near Acapulco.
Last year, at least 120 people died in an earthquake in Tibet. Dozens of people were killed in an earthquake in Northern Afghanistan. And an earthquake in eastern Afghanistan killed over 1,000 people.
