A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Venezuela this afternoon, causing buildings to collapse in various areas of Caracas and instilling panic among the population of the capital and other cities in the country.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter of the earthquake was located in the central-northern region of the country, in an area near Morón, in the state of Carabobo, about 21 kilometers east of that locality and at a depth of approximately 13 kilometers, which classifies it as a high-impact shallow earthquake.
The most shocking images came from Los Palos Grandes, in Caracas, where a building collapsed completely. A witness who was just 20 meters from the structure described the exact moment of the collapse: “Right now in Los Palos Grandes, I’m going to mass and the traffic light turns green and people are stationary and I honk the horn, honk the horn, honk the horn and they go, and when I pass here I’m 20 meters from the building, it starts to shake and I stop the car and the building fell”.
The journalist Federico A. Black B. confirmed on social media the collapse of buildings both in Los Palos Grandes and in San Bernardino, another area of the capital.
The channel VPItv also reported that in Altamira, Caracas, several structures collapsed due to the earthquake, and specified that, according to the Geological Service of Colombia, the magnitude was 7.0. The outlet indicated that, at that moment, the official report of injured people and possible fatalities was unknown.
The earthquake was strongly felt in Caracas, Maracay, Valencia, Barquisimeto, and Maracaibo, as well as in Colombian cities such as Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Cali, and Cúcuta. Numerous residents evacuated to the streets for safety, and power outages were reported along with disruptions to internet and telephone services.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Aruba, and Curacao, with dangerous fluctuations in sea level expected starting at 7:19 PM this Wednesday.
The opposition leader María Corina Machado was one of the first public figures to respond. In a message posted on her X account, she expressed her solidarity with the Venezuelan people: “My heart, my endless embrace, and my prayers are with every Venezuelan home during these hours of distress. May strength, serenity, and solidarity prevail among us in this difficult time. May God protect every Venezuelan, our families, and our homes.”
Some sources classify this earthquake as the strongest recorded in Venezuela in the last 10 years. The most comparable recent event was the 7.3 magnitude earthquake on August 21, 2018, which had its epicenter in Sucre state and did not result in any fatalities. Venezuela is located on the boundary between the Caribbean and South American plates, an area of high seismic activity with active faults such as Boconó and Oca-Antioquia.
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