The earthquake that occurred in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, proved to be very dangerous because it was a double event. According to the American Geological Survey (USGS), first an earthquake of 7.2 magnitude occurred here and just 39 seconds later another strong tremor of 7.5 magnitude occurred. This second earthquake is being considered as the main earthquake. The biggest reason for this earthquake is its very low depth. Both earthquakes occurred just 10 to 13 kilometers below the ground surface. According to seismology, this is considered to be very shallow depth.
When an earthquake occurs at a very shallow depth, its tremors are felt more strongly above the ground. This happens because the energy has to travel a short distance to reach the surface and its strength does not decrease on the way. For this reason, earthquake tremors were felt very strongly in the capital Caracas and surrounding areas and in many places buildings shook and some even collapsed. Officials have also warned that aftershocks may occur in the coming times. Some of these tremors can also be strong, so people have been advised to be alert and stay in a safe place.
National emergency declared in Venezuela
After the powerful earthquakes in Venezuela, a national emergency has been declared in the country. Venezuela’s acting President Delsey Rodriguez has announced this. While addressing the nation on TV, he expressed condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in this earthquake. The earthquake has caused major damage in the capital Caracas. Here a 22-storey building has completely collapsed and turned into debris. The work of removing the debris of this building is going on. Officials fear that many people may be buried under the debris. For this reason, the government has completely focused on relief and rescue operations and efforts are being made to evacuate people safely.