A powerful earthquake struck north-central Venezuela on Wednesday afternoon, sending residents of the capital Caracas scrambling to get out of their buildings. People in neighboring Colombia also reported feeling the tremors.
The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at a magnitude of 7.1. It was centered approximately one hour west of the city of Valencia, at a depth of about 13 kilometers — roughly 8 miles underground.
The timing of the earthquake was notable: many Venezuelans were home from work, observing a national public holiday that marks an 1821 military victory that secured the country’s independence from Spain.
In Caracas, frightened residents rushed out of their homes and offices as buildings swayed from the force of the quake. Video footage from Reuters witnesses showed fire trucks deployed throughout the city’s streets, and several buildings showed visible damage to their outer walls and facades.
Many people across Caracas lost electricity and internet service almost immediately after the shaking stopped.
Maria Romero, an 80-year-old retiree living on the south side of Caracas, was helped out of her building by police officers. She described the experience as devastating. “This earthquake was horrible, even worse than the one in 1967,” she said.
Another witness described returning to their apartment to find cracks running up the walls and shattered glass in the entryway, with power going out shortly afterward.
A resident of Valencia, located to the west of Caracas, described widespread structural damage in their building. “Several walls in my building broke open or cracks formed,” the witness told Reuters. “As soon as it stopped (shaking) my husband and I evacuated.”
Following the earthquake, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami threat for Puerto Rico and both the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. Officials also warned that the islands of Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire — located off Venezuela’s coast — could face dangerous wave activity.
