Two powerful earthquakes shook the Venezuelan capital of Caracas seconds apart, with the second quake – a magnitude 7.5 – one of the strongest tremors to hit the South American country in a century.
Buildings collapsed and residents rushed to the streets for safety as the quakes struck.
Venezeula’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez has declared a state of emergency.
There are fears of casualties and extensive damage but there is no information on either at this point. Rescuers are racing to find survivors who may be trapped under rubble.
Here’s what we know so far.
Where and when did the quakes hit?
Both earthquakes shook Venezuela’s populous capital city of Caracas around 18:04 local time (22:04 GMT).
The first was a magnitude 7.2 earthquake centred in the area of Montalbán, just west of Caracas, according to the US Geological Survey (USGC) monitoring agency.
39 seconds later, a stronger magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck about 10km deep nearby.
The epicentres were both outside the capital, but felt strongly across the city, with buildings shaking and some collapsing.
Tremors were felt as far away as the Colombian capital Bogotá, more than 1,000 km (630 miles) away.
The quakes hit while the country was celebrating a national holiday, commemorating the 1821 Battle of Carabobo, a decisive victory by Venezuelan independence leader Simón Bolívar against the Spanish colonial power.
The full extent of the damage is still to be assessed, but photos and videos show debris strewn on the streets, while rescuers dig through the rubble of collapsed buildings to locate survivors.
In some footage, people can be heard calling for help.
President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency in Venezuela, allowing extra resources and personnel to be used for recovery efforts.
In an address to the nation, she expressed her “immediate condolences” to those killed in the quakes, although she did not specify how many people had died.
The US is also “mobilizing assistance” to affected areas, deputy state department secretary Christopher Landau wrote on X.
The mayor of Chacao, Gustavo Duque Saez, told reporters that at least two buildings in this municipality – which forms part of the greater metropolitan area of Caracas – have completely collapsed.
He said 18 people had been rescued alive and that more than 500 emergency workers were on site trying to pull out more residents.
The country’s interior ministry has urged people to leave their homes over concerns of building stability and gas lines possibly being affected.
Fuel supplies into the city have been cut off and internet blackouts have also been reported.
What is the earthquake death toll?
No deaths or injuries have been reported by officials.
Emergency crews and officials are still working to rescue anyone trapped under rubble.
Even so, the area where the quakes struck is particularly vulnerable, the USGS noted. The agency stated many buildings in the area are made of reinforced brick masonry and adobe blocks and the sheer force of the shaking made it likely there was a high chance of destroyed buildings and deaths.
The USGS said there was a 44% chance that the death toll could hit 10,000 and a 30% chance it could go above 100,000.
There was initially a tsunami threat advisory issued along the coast of Venezuela, and parts of the Caribbean, including the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.
But those warnings have now been cancelled.
The US Tsunami Warning System said there is no longer a tsunami threat across the region from the quakes.
By BBC News
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