After the devastating earthquake in Venezuela, the President has declared a state of emergency in the country. President Delsey Rodriguez declared a national emergency throughout the country. He appealed to the doctors and nurses to immediately reach the hospital and start treating the injured. Also, Myketia International Airport located in Caracas has been announced to remain closed until further notice. Thousands of people are feared dead due to the earthquake, while a large number of people have been injured.
Venezuela was shaken by two strong earthquakes one after the other. The most damage has been done in Caracas. Big buildings collapsed like a deck of cards. Thousands of people are feared dead. In his address to the nation, the President expressed deep condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the earthquake. However, he did not reveal the number of dead. He said that the government is engaged with full force in relief and rescue work.
Declaration of emergency in Venezuela
According to the President, the airport has suffered major damage in the earthquake. It is currently closed due to security reasons. Emergency has been declared in the entire country. Within a minute, two earthquakes of magnitude 7.1 and 7.5 were felt. This is one of the most powerful earthquakes to hit the country in the last hundred years. A 22-storey building collapsed due to the earthquake in the capital Caracas.
Two consecutive massive earthquakes occurred near the northern coast of Venezuela on Wednesday. These earthquakes of magnitude 7.1 and 7.5 shook the entire area. Thousands of people are feared dead. Big buildings collapsed. Panicked people were seen running on the streets to save their lives. The impact of the earthquake was so severe that buildings had to be evacuated even in cities as far away as Brazil’s Amazon (which is about 1,700 kilometers or 1,050 miles away).
According to reports, the first earthquake’s epicenter was west of Moron, a coastal area about 168 km west of Caracas. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 13 km. Reports further stated that before people could recover, a second, stronger aftershock struck, with its epicenter just 16 km south-west of Moron at a depth of 10 km. These shocks, which came one after the other, were felt in many states, after which people were in great panic.
The capital Caracas suffered the most damage. Big buildings collapsed. The walls of many houses also collapsed. Many videos of earthquake are going viral on social media. A horrifying scene of devastation can be seen in the video. A large part of the multi-storey building is also seen collapsing. Huge clouds of dust are seen and people running on the streets to save their lives.