Butolpost.com — Venezuela was hit by a powerful earthquake of double magnitude on Wednesday local time, killing at least 32 people and injuring around 700 others. The casualty figure was conveyed directly by the Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, in the government’s first official statement regarding the disaster.
Based on reports from seismologists, the first earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 rocked the area near the City of San Felipe, the capital of Yaracuy State. About 40 seconds later, a second, stronger earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 hit the southeast area of Yumare City again.
This double earthquake is said to be the largest ever recorded in Venezuela and the strongest earthquake in the last 125 years.
The United States Geological Survey Service (USGS) reported that the epicenter of the earthquake was at a depth of about 10 kilometers below the ground surface, with the epicenter located to the west of the Moron coastal area.
The shaking was felt as strongly as it reached the capital city of Caracas and caused a number of buildings to collapse and damage to various residential areas.
The USGS warned that the death toll could potentially increase drastically. In its initial estimate, the agency said the death toll could reach thousands of people, with a possible range of between 10 thousand and 100 thousand people.
President Rodriguez emphasized that the government’s main focus at the moment is rescuing victims who are still trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings and houses.
«”Our priority is to save lives and evacuate residents who are still buried under rubble,” said Rodriguez, as quoted by teleSUR media.»
Rescue teams, military and volunteers continue to be deployed to the affected areas to search for victims and distribute emergency aid.
According to the latest USGS technical data, the double earthquake rocked the northern region of Venezuela with very strong intensity and had the potential to cause widespread damage in a number of coastal and urban cities.***
