Venezuela reels from earthquakes as rescuers scramble to seek out survivors

BOGOTA, Colombia—It took lower than a minute for 2 highly effective earthquakes to strike Venezuela on Wednesday night. Two days later, firefighters, troopers and volunteers are nonetheless digging by collapsed buildings in Caracas and surrounding areas.

The federal government says not less than 235 folks have been killed, with the toll anticipated to rise, and hundreds have been injured.

With emergency sources stretched skinny, volunteers have been arriving at catastrophe websites carrying their very own shovels, hammers and primary instruments to help rescue efforts.

“In a place like this you just feel shocked. I don’t even feel like taking photos,” mentioned volunteer Sebastian Arias, who described transferring between neighborhoods the place buildings had additionally collapsed. Arias mentioned some websites had been overcrowded with volunteers whereas others appeared to lack assist and tools.

Total neighborhoods throughout Caracas and northern coastal states have been left in ruins, with worldwide help now arriving to assist overwhelmed native responders.

The final earthquake of comparable scale to hit Caracas occurred in 1967, when greater than 200 folks had been killed in a magnitude 6.7 quake.

Wednesday’s quakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and seven.5, had been felt throughout not less than 5 northern states alongside the Caribbean coast, the place sturdy earthquakes are comparatively uncommon.

Residents described scenes of chaos as buildings swayed, glass shattered and folks rushed into the streets.

“Everything was moving. My flower vases were crashing on the floor, and even paintings were falling off the walls… I had never experienced something like this,” mentioned resident Claudia Castillo.

Ana Soffer lives in Los Palos Grandes, a neighborhood in Caracas the place not less than three buildings have collapsed. She was driving previous the shopping center when the primary earthquake struck.

“I saw people running from inside the mall. I saw a big cloud of sand, and I decided to breathe, to do breathing exercises because all my body was shaking,” she mentioned.

Whereas harm has been reported throughout the capital and several other northern states, authorities say the worst destruction is centered in La Guaira, the port metropolis that serves as the primary gateway to the capital.