The American Geological Institute, responsible for monitoring and recording seismic activities around the world, announced that two strong earthquakes struck central Venezuela on Wednesday.
The Institute explained that the magnitudes of the earthquakes were 7.2 and 7.5 on the “Richter” scale, which, according to American media, caused damage to several buildings and led to power outages in some areas of the country, particularly in the capital, Caracas.
It is still unclear whether the tremors resulted in casualties, but images circulated on social media showed buildings that suffered severe damage, along with smoke and dust rising from the affected areas.
The American Geological Institute added that the first earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.2, was followed less than a minute later by a second earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5.
The Institute specified that the epicenter of the earthquakes was near the city of San Felipe, which has a population of approximately 220,000, in Yaracuy state, located about 320 kilometers west of the capital, Caracas.
The same source indicated that the tremors occurred shortly after six o’clock in the evening local time.
