Powerful back-to-back earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, causing widespread damage, collapsing buildings and sending panicked residents into the streets.
The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes rocked the region, with buildings evacuated in cities as far away as Brazil’s Amazon, about 1,700 kilometres from the capital Caracas.
In a brief address to the nation late on Wednesday, acting-President Delcy Rodríguez said the earthquakes caused damages in several states, but did not give any figures on the number of homes and buildings affected, or on injuries and fatalities.
The earthquakes damaged the country’s main airport, Simón Bolívar International Airport, severely enough leading to its closure, she said, adding that school was being cancelled for several days to deal with the crisis at hand.
“We urge our population to remain calm,” Rodríguez said. “We urge unity.”
