Twin earthquakes trigger structural collapse and panic in Caracas
Rescuers search rubble as residents flee collapsing buildings; casualty figures remain unconfirmed following the strongest seismic events in recent memory.
Two powerful earthquakes, measuring magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, struck Caracas, Venezuela, on Wednesday, causing significant structural damage and widespread disruption across the capital. The tremors occurred seconds apart near the city of Moron, with the initial 7.2 magnitude event followed closely by the stronger 7.5 quake in the same region. The seismic activity resulted in immediate building collapses and left the full extent of the damage and number of casualties unknown.
The earthquakes coincided with a national holiday commemorating the 1821 Battle of Carabobo, a decisive victory by Simón Bolívar against Spanish colonial power. Although it was a weekday, many residents remained at home, leading to widespread panic when the buildings began to shake. People evacuated to the streets, fearing aftershocks, with some remaining outside for over an hour as a precaution.
Journalist Nicole Kolster, residing in a seventh-storey apartment in the Palos Grandes district, described the experience as the strongest earthquake she had ever felt. She recounted taking cover between a front door and a stone wall, fearing the structure would collapse. Palos Grandes was among the hardest-hit areas, with photos and videos showing collapsed buildings, fallen utility poles, and residents gathered on the streets in distress.
Residents reported specific infrastructural failures, including cracked walls, loss of electricity, and loss of mobile signal. Some individuals were unable to retrieve pets from their homes, while others attempted to move cars from building basements to prevent further damage. Calls for help were heard from the rubble of a nearby collapsed building as rescuers raced to find survivors.
The event has drawn comparisons to a 6.6-magnitude quake that struck Caracas in 1967, which killed more than 200 people and destroyed buildings in Palos Grandes and Altamira. Some residents who experienced the 1967 event stated that the current tremors felt worse. Coro Martinez, a 56-year-old resident, described a loud crash and items falling inside her home, while 80-year-old pensioner Maria Romero called the earthquake horrible and worse than the 1967 event.
