Twin Venezuela quakes flatten Caracas buildings, trigger Caribbean tsunami alerts

Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela within a minute, damaging buildings in Caracas and sending residents into the streets. The twin jolts triggered Caribbean tsunami alerts and raised fears of further aftershocks and injuries.

In Short

• The first tremor measured 7.1 and struck near coastal Morón
• A stronger 7.5 quake followed within a minute at shallow depth
• Residents fled swaying buildings as dust clouds rose over neighbourhoods

Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela back-to-back on Wednesday evening, causing buildings to collapse in the capital, Caracas, and forcing people to flee swaying structures. The quakes, among the strongest to hit the country in more than a century, also triggered tsunami alerts in parts of the Caribbean.

The US Geological Survey said the first earthquake measured 7.1 in magnitude and struck west of Morón, a community on Venezuela's Caribbean coast about 168 kilometres west of Caracas, at a depth of 13 kilometres. Just a minute later, a second and stronger 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit at a depth of 10 kilometres, with its epicentre 16 kilometres southwest of Morón.

In Caracas, people evacuated buildings and stayed outside, many visibly shaken as they saw entire walls collapse, leaving furniture exposed from the street. Columns of dust were also seen in two neighbourhoods of the capital, where restaurants and other businesses are usually busy.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said the tremors were felt in several states. He said the Altamira neighbourhood in Caracas had "alarming situations" with collapsed homes and buildings, and suggested that people had been injured. He asked motorists to give way to ambulances and other emergency vehicles. "We understand that some people may be desperate, but we are acting according to protocols to activate aid and rescue efforts to help those who need it most," Cabello said on state television. "Be very careful with children and the elderly; call each other and check that no one has been harmed." He also urged people to remain outside because aftershocks could cause further damage to some structures.

The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a tsunami alert for the Virgin Islands, while authorities in the Dominican Republic also issued one for the island. Another alert for Puerto Rico was quickly lifted. Caracas resident Roberto Damas described the force of the shaking, saying, "The building really shook from side to side. Unreal. The force was incredibly strong. We were walking and it was tossing us around. Everything in the apartment fell. Well, thank God we were able to get out." The two earthquakes left scenes of damage and fear in Caracas as emergency efforts got under way.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends