Two powerful earthquakes tore through Venezuela on Wednesday evening, bringing down buildings in the capital Caracas and triggering a warning that ‘high casualties’ and widespread destruction were likely.
The back-to-back quakes – measured at magnitudes 7.1 and 7.5 by the US Geological Survey – struck near the coast as terrified residents fled swaying buildings, watched walls collapse and saw dust billow over normally bustling neighborhoods.
The USGS warned that the disaster could leave between 10,000 and 100,000 people dead, although authorities had not released an official death or injury toll by Wednesday night.
‘High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster
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