Venezuela was shaken Wednesday afternoon by its most powerful earthquakes in more than 100 years, with severe damage reported in Caracas and growing concern over the potential for a significant loss of life.
The U.S. Geological Survey said a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck about 100 miles west of the capital, followed roughly one minute later by an even stronger 7.5-magnitude tremor.
“High casualties and extensive damage are probable, and the disaster is likely widespread,” the USGS said in an alert.
The agency’s early modeling suggested the death toll could fall somewhere between 10,000 and 100,000, though Venezuelan officials had not released confirmed figures for fatalities or injuries.
Dramatic videos shared on social media showed panicked crowds rushing for cover and trying to protect loved ones as ceiling panels came down and sparks erupted inside Maiquetia International Airport.
Other footage appeared to show baseball players and spectators fleeing onto the field during a game in Caracas as the shaking rattled power lines and stadium seating.
By Wednesday evening, emergency crews were picking their way through the wreckage of collapsed structures while anxious residents continued searching for missing relatives.
Numerous buildings, including several in Caracas, appeared either destroyed or heavily damaged in the aftermath of the quakes.
Furniture and rubble were piled on the streets as homeowners stood outside in shock.
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The massive geological event occurred as many Venezuelans were at home celebrating Battle of Carabobo Day, a public holiday marking the 1821 victory that helped secure the country’s independence from Spain.
“As soon as it started, we began hearing people screaming,” Astrid Ramirez, a 41-year-old publicist in western Caracas, told Reuters. “Everyone was running down the stairs.”
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said the earthquake shook several states.
“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.”
The US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami threat for Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands after the quakes.
But the warning was withdrawn about an hour later.
The quakes are among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century.
The nation lies in a seismically active zone, where the Caribbean Plate meets the South American Plate.
Roughly 30,000 people were killed when an earthquake destroyed much of Merida and Caracas in March 1812, according to the USGS.
With Post wires
