Venezuela has been hit by two powerful earthquakes in quick succession, causing buildings to collapse in the capital city of Caracas and raising fears that thousands of people may have lost their lives.
The first tremor, measured at magnitude 7.2, struck near San Felipe, about 284 kilometres west of Caracas, on Wednesday night at 22:04 GMT. Less than a minute later, a second and even stronger earthquake of magnitude 7.5 hit near Yumare, about 293 kilometres from the capital, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Acting President Delcy RodrÃguez appeared on television late Wednesday to declare a state of emergency as government officials rushed to understand the full scale of the destruction. She did not give any numbers about how many people had been hurt or killed.
But the US Geological Survey has warned that the death toll could be anywhere between 10,000 and 100,000 people, which has left many Venezuelans worried about their family members and friends.
Rescue Teams Working Through the Night
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said emergency services had been sent out immediately to help with search and rescue operations. He told state television that many buildings, homes and houses had completely fallen down, and that authorities were using every resource they had in terms of security and civil assistance.
"The fire department, police and all have been activated," Cabello said.
He pointed out that the Altamira neighbourhood in Caracas was facing a very serious situation, with several buildings reported to have collapsed. He made a special appeal to motorists to clear the roads so that emergency teams could reach those in need and take injured people to hospital.
Many Venezuelans were at home when the earthquakes hit because Wednesday was a public holiday. The country was marking the anniversary of a key battle in 1821 during its war of independence from Spain.
Witnesses Describe Terrifying Moments
People who experienced the earthquakes have described the shock of feeling two powerful tremors less than a minute apart.
Heidi Romero, a 42-year-old shopkeeper, was on the top floor of a shopping centre when the ground started shaking. She told the AFP news agency that it was unbelievable and she could not even tell how long it lasted. She said they had to use the emergency stairs to get out of the building.
Carmen Guedez, 69, was in the same room as her bedridden sister when she felt the first jolt. She told AFP that the shaking kept getting stronger and stronger. She started seeing the windows move, and then everything was shaking violently.
Another Caracas resident, Odalis Escalona, a 54-year-old bank employee, told AFP that the stairs came away from the wall and the whole wall cracked. She said things were falling from the ceiling and described the experience as horrible.
Airport Closed After Severe Damage
The main airport serving Caracas, Simon Bolivar International Airport, has been closed after suffering serious damage. Footage shared on social media by Wilmer Azuaje, an elected official from Barinas State, showed pieces of the building falling down and people running to find safety.
Vashan Wright, a geophysicist from the University of California in San Diego, explained to Al Jazeera that the damage was so widespread because Venezuela sits in a massive strike-slip fault zone where the Caribbean Plate and the South American Plate meet.
He also said that the capital city of Caracas is located in a deep sedimentary basin, which makes the shaking from earthquakes even stronger. This is why buildings in the city have suffered so much destruction.
The search for survivors continues as rescue teams work through the night, trying to reach people trapped under the rubble. The full extent of the disaster is still not known, but the coming days will likely bring more tragic news as rescue workers dig through the collapsed buildings.
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