A 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit Venezuela on Wednesday evening, the US Geological Survey has said. The quake had a depth of 10 kilometres and its epicentre was 16 kilometres southwest of the city of Morón, Venezuela.
According to The Associated Press massive tremors were felt minutes after parts of Venezuela, including the capital, Caracas, were hit by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake. The epicentre of the 7.1 quake was west of the community of Morón, located along the country’s Caribbean coast, about 168 kilometres (104 miles) west of Caracas at a depth of 13 kilometres.
Tsunami warning issued
The US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami threat for Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands following the earthquake, adding that islands off the coast of Venezuela — Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire — could also be hit by hazardous waves. It withdrew the warning within about an hour.
Venezuela lies in a seismically active zone where the Caribbean Plate meets the South American Plate.
Videos capture the horror
Videos posted on social media showed emergency workers climbing into the ruins of one collapsed building in the capital as night began to fall.
"Some buildings have been brought down (in Caracas), houses have collapsed," Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said on state television.
Many Venezuelans were at home when the quake hit, celebrating a public holiday commemorating an 1821 military victory which secured Venezuela's independence from Spain.
“There was a very loud crash. Things fell in the house, jugs inside the refrigerator. I've never experienced anything like it,” Coro Martinez, 56, who lives in eastern Caracas, told AP.
According to Reuters, in Chacao, an eastern Caracas municipality, Mayor Gustavo Duque told broadcaster Globovision that two structures had collapsed, 16 people were injured and there were deaths, though he gave no figure for fatalities.
"We're going to do everything we can to rescue the most people possible," he said.
"High casualties and extensive damage are probable, and the disaster is likely widespread," the USGS said, initially estimating the death toll would most likely range from 10,000 to 100,000.
The US embassy in Caracas said it was closely monitoring the aftermath of the quake and urged citizens in the country to seek secure shelter and avoid damaged areas.
