A pair of powerful earthquakes rocked Venezuela Wednesday evening, causing severe damage, collapsing buildings and sending terrified residents into the streets.
The first quake, magnitude 7.2, struck just after 6 p.m. local time, west of Morón on the Caribbean coast, at a depth of 22 kilometers. A second, stronger 7.5 quake followed one minute later, 16 kilometers southwest of Morón at 10 kilometers deep, according to the US Geological Survey.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency, saying the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas was closed due to severe damage. School was cancelled for several days, and some schools were converted into shelters. In Falcon state, Governor Víctor Clark reported 32 people hospitalized and 15 still trapped under rubble hours later.
Buildings collapsed in the capital Caracas, knocking out power and cell phone reception. Subway and natural gas services were suspended. Residents remained outdoors for hours, some holding their pets, as dust columns rose from neighborhoods. The tremors were felt as far away as Brazil's Amazon, some 1,700 kilometers from the capital.