Two major earthquakes strike Venezuela minutes apart
Two strong earthquakes struck in the early hours of Thursday on the northern coast of Venezuela, west of its capital, Caracas. The first quake measured 7.1 while the second was recorded at 7.5, with only 40 seconds separating them. The country's president, Delcy Rodríguez, has declared a national st
Two strong earthquakes struck in the early hours of Thursday on the northern coast of Venezuela, west of its capital, Caracas. The first quake measured 7.1 while the second was recorded at 7.5, with only 40 seconds separating them. The country's president, Delcy Rodríguez, has declared a national state of emergency.
Several buildings collapsed in the country's capital from the tremors, and dozens of other buildings sustained significant damage. Local authorities announced that there were fatalities, but did not specify the exact number.
Venezuela's interior minister asked citizens to leave their homes over concerns about aftershocks that could cause additional buildings to collapse. The country's main international airport has also been closed.
Several minutes after the tremors, tsunami warnings were issued in several areas of the Caribbean Sea, including Puerto Rico and the British and American Virgin Islands, but were canceled shortly thereafter.
Separately, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake also struck the eastern coast of Japan around the same time, though no connection between the two events has been established.