CARACAS--Strong earthquakes struck west of Venezuela's capital on Wednesday afternoon, toppling buildings in Caracas, trapping people in the rubble and prompting scientists to warn of potentially heavy casualties and widespread destruction across the South American country.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit about 160 km (100 miles) west of Caracas, followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 tremor, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). "High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread," the USGS said, initially estimating the death toll would most likely range from 10,000 to 100,000.
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez said she would declare a state of emergency and request funds from multilateral organizations to back the recovery effort. "We extend our condolences to those who have unfortunately suffered the loss of a family member," she said in a national address, without giving a national count for deaths or injuries.
Local officials and witnesses reported collapsed buildings, rescues and a growing number of injured. “We have buildings, homes and houses which have collapsed and we are taking care of things with everything we have available in terms of security, civil assistance," Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said earlier on state television.
Video footage showed emergency workers climbing through the ruins of a collapsed building in the capital as night fell, while distraught relatives sought help for loved ones believed to be trapped.
Gustavo Duque, the mayor of the Chacao municipality in Caracas, said several buildings collapsed, and 18 survivors were extracted from one building alone. He urged onlookers to seek shelter and aid at public plazas because there could be aftershocks.
"We're going to do everything we can to rescue the most people possible," he said.
Twenty-two people were injured in the coastal state of Falcon, Governor Victor Clark said on state television. Fifteen missing people, all adults, were still being searched for.
Many Venezuelans were at home when the quakes struck during a public holiday marking an 1821 military victory that helped secure the country's independence from Spain. "As soon as it started, we began hearing people screaming," said Astrid Ramirez, a 41-year-old publicist in western Caracas. "Everyone was running down the stairs."
Residents across Caracas, which was also hit by a deadly magnitude 6.3 earthquake in 1967, rushed to evacuate as buildings shook. "There was a very loud crash. Things fell in the house, jugs inside the refrigerator. I've never experienced anything like it," said Coro Martinez, 56, who lives in eastern Caracas.
Maria Romero, an 80-year-old pensioner in southern Caracas, said police helped her get out of her home. "This earthquake was horrible, even worse than the one in 1967," she said.
Another resident, a 41-year-old office worker who declined to be named, said she received an earthquake alert on her phone just before the shaking intensified. "As I picked it up and started listening to what it was saying, I first felt light shaking. Then, in less than two seconds, everything started moving."
Rodriguez has been running the country since the U.S. ouster of President Nicolas Maduro in January. She has hailed a new era of cooperation with the U.S. and other countries, especially on oil, mining and other industries. The U.S. embassy in Caracas said it was closely monitoring the aftermath of the quake and urged citizens in the country to seek secure shelter and avoid damaged areas.
