‘Tens of thousands’ feared dead after earthquakes strike Venezuela at 7.2 & 7.5 magnitudes causing buildings to collapse

TWO huge earthquakes have struck Venezuela at magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 – with tens of thousands feared dead after buildings collapsed. Harrowing footage showed the aftermath of the major quakes – with survivors emerging from the wreckage and locals searching the rubble. Wednesday’s quakes were a “doublet”, with a magnitude 7.2 foreshock followed just 39 seconds later by a larger 7.5 mainshock. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) warned casualties could be “high” and extensive damage may have been caused by the violent shaking. There is no official word on deaths or injuries yet as authorities scramble to take stock of the massive amount of damage. But the USGS gave a 39 per cent chance that between 10,000 and 100,000 people would have died. Videos posted to social media following the shocks showed buildings fallen over and dust hanging in the air. Apartment buildings appeared to have collapsed in the coastal town of La Guaira. Emergency services were seen assessing the damage as others searched through the rubble. Shocking pictures showed debris scattered across the streets in the aftermath of the shake. Most read in The Sun Locals were also seen hugging loved ones as they scrambled to safety. Survivors were also seen being pulled away from the rubble. The major shakes occurred about happened about 100miles west of Caracas. The temblors struck at a depth of 8miles, with residents in Caracas rushing to evacuate buildings amid the chaos. There were reports of mass panic in the city as locals were heard screaming while buildings swayed from side to side. What is a doublet-earthquake? A DOUBLET-earthquake is a single earthquake event that features two or more major shocks instead of just one. The twin shocks have nearly identical magnitudes, usually within 0.4 of each other. Yesterday’s initial rocking was the first event in a doublet, with the magnitude 7.2 foreshock followed just 39 seconds later by a larger 7.5 mainshock. Both shocks originate from the exact same fault line and rupture zone. Because they come from the same spot, they leave almost identical “fingerprints” on seismometers. Traditional aftershocks are much weaker, but doublets maintain full, devastating strength. They happen when a tearing fault line hits a massive, rigid chunk of crust called an asperity. The first quake fails to release all the tectonic stress, jamming all that leftover pressure onto the stuck blockage. Unable to hold the sudden pressure, the blockage violently snaps to trigger the second big quake. They double the duration of violent shaking, often collapsing buildings already weakened by the first strike. Crowds of people were seen in the streets as they waited for the powerful shaking to subside. Witnesses in the Venezuelan capital said they were rushed outside, with others saying cracks formed in their apartment walls as glass windows shattered. In Chacao, an eastern Caracas municipality, Mayor Gustavo Duque told broadcaster Globovision that two structures had collapsed, 16 people were injured and there were deaths, though he gave no figure for fatalities. He said: “We’re going to do everything we can to rescue the most people possible.” Many Venezuelans were at home celebrating a public holiday commemorating Venezuela’s independence from Spain when the temblor hit. Maria Romero, an 80-year-old pensioner in Caracas, said: “This earthquake was horrible, even worse than the one in 1967.” Astrid Ramirez, a 41-year-old publicist in western Caracas, said: “As soon as it started, we began hearing people screaming… Everyone was running down the stairs.” Coro Martinez, 56, who lives in eastern Caracas, said: “There was a very loud crash. Things fell in the house, jugs inside the refrigerator. I’ve never experienced anything like it.” The US Tsunami Warning System had issued a threat for Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands following the earthquake. They warned islands off the coast of Venezuela – Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire – could also be hit by hazardous waves. But the alarm has since been called off. In the Colombian capital of Bogota, alarms were sounded and some residents evacuated buildings as a precaution.