Buildings collapse as deadly twin quakes hit Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) —  At least 164 people have died and 971 were injured after a pair of powerful quakes rocked Venezuela, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Thursday.

Wednesday evening’s 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century and could be felt throughout the region. Buildings were evacuated in places as far away as Brazil’s Amazon, about 1,700 kilometers (1,050 miles) from Venezuela’s capital, Caracas.

(MORE: Northern California shaken by moderate earthquake)

The U.S. Geological Survey said the first earthquake was west of the community of Morón, located along the country’s Caribbean coast, about 104 miles west of Caracas. The quake had a depth of 8 miles.

The USGS reported an even larger 7.5-magnitude earthquake just a minute later. The second quake had a depth of 10 kilometers and its epicenter was 10 miles southwest of Morón.

Rodríguez said authorities were shifting rescue teams from other parts of the country to La Guaira, which sits north of Caracas on the coast. She said officials were trying to make the most of the daylight hours to speed up efforts to rescue people believed to remain trapped under the rubble.

“Dozens of buildings have collapsed there ... and we are currently carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives,” Rodríguez said.

Venezuela’s state-run VTV showed footage early Thursday of three children, covered in dust but alive, being pulled from the rubble in hard-hit La Guaira.

The earthquakes damaged and closed Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas, the country’s main airport, Rodríguez said, adding that schools were canceled and subway and natural gas services in Caracas were not operating. She urged Venezuelans to use a government app to report damage.

Rodríguez declared a state of emergency in an address to the nation late Wednesday, saying the quakes caused damage in several states.

‘We all had to leave our houses'

Television broadcasts showed rescue workers using power tools on collapsed structures and dozens of people spending the night in parked cars, subway stations and other public places to heed warnings to avoid damaged structures. Collapsed buildings, toppled electric poles and debris blocked streets.

During the quakes, people evacuated swaying buildings in Caracas, many visibly shocked as they saw collapsed walls that left furniture visible from the street.

“It started off gently and then gradually grew, and in the end, we all had to leave our houses, go outside and gather together,” Caracas resident Hector Ricci said.

Roberto Gama said his building in Caracas “really shook from side to side. Unreal. The force was incredibly strong.”

Cellphone service was unavailable across parts of Venezuela, which deepened the distress of many families, particularly among the more than 7.7 million people who have left the country.

Venezuela opposition leader María Corina Machado, in exile after leaving Venezuela in December, sent wishes on X for “strength, serenity, and solidarity.”

Venezuela Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said the quake could be felt in several states and 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. “Be very careful with children and the elderly. Call each other and check that no one has been harmed.”

Earthquakes impact the region

Buildings in Manaus, Belem and Macapá in Brazil's Amazon were evacuated, according to TV Globo. The earthquakes also were felt in Colombia’s Caribbean and northeast regions.

The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued several tsumani alerts after the earthquakes that were quickly lifted, with the center later reporting there was no tsunami threat.

Strong earthquakes are unusual in Venezuela despite sitting near multiple fault lines at its position straddling the South American and Caribbean plates.

Quakes are frequent in other countries on Latin America's Pacific coast including Mexico and Chile, which sit along the seismically active tectonic belt known as the Ring of Fire, an area that the USGS said is responsible for 90% of earthquakes.