Venezuela earthquake LIVE: Second 7.5-magnitude earthquake hits Venezuela, high casualties likely, USGS says | Today’s news

A strong earthquake struck northern Venezuela west of Caracas on Wednesday afternoon, tearing down buildings in the capital, although authorities did not immediately report any casualties. The 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck about 160 km west of Caracas at a depth of 13 km, according to the US Geological Survey.

A few minutes later, the USGS recorded a second strong earthquake of magnitude 7.5. The second earthquake had a depth of 10 kilometers and its epicenter was 16 kilometers southwest of the city of Morón, Venezuela.

The US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami threat for Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands after the quake, adding that islands off the coast of Venezuela – Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire – could also be hit by dangerous waves. The warning was lifted within an hour.

“Some buildings were torn down (in Caracas), houses collapsed,” Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said on state television. Cabello said states including Trujillo, Yaracuy, Carabobo, Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira were also affected.

Local reports showed significant damage to the capital’s airport, with parts of the roof collapsing and spewing thick clouds of gray dust.