Horror On Camera: Buildings Collapse, Roads Crack - Terrifying Footage Of Exact Moment Twin Earthquakes Rip Through Venezuela

New Delhi: Terrifying visuals have emerged from Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes struck near the capital, Caracas, bringing down buildings, trapping people under rubble and triggering panic across the country. 

Videos from the affected areas show emergency workers searching through collapsed structures, damaged buildings with shattered facades, hospital ceilings caving in and frightened residents pouring onto the streets as the ground shook violently.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck around 160 km west of Caracas, followed less than a minute later by a stronger magnitude 7.5 tremor. 

The USGS warned that the disaster could result in high casualties and widespread destruction, initially estimating the death toll could range between 10,000 and 100,000 if the worst-case scenario unfolds.

Authorities have not yet released an official nationwide death or injury toll. However, local officials confirmed multiple building collapses, rescue operations and several injuries. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said firefighters, police and civil defence teams had been mobilised across the affected regions to carry out rescue and relief efforts.

In Caracas' Chacao municipality, Mayor Gustavo Duque confirmed that at least two buildings had collapsed, leaving 16 people injured, while also acknowledging fatalities without providing a confirmed death toll.

 Rescue teams continued to work through the night in a desperate search for survivors believed to be trapped beneath the debris.

The earthquakes struck on a public holiday marking Venezuela's 1821 victory in the Battle of Carabobo, meaning many people were at home when the tremors hit. Residents described scenes of chaos as buildings swayed, household items crashed to the floor and people fled down staircases in panic. Several compared the shaking to-or even worse than-the devastating 1967 Caracas earthquake.

One resident said she received an earthquake alert on her mobile phone moments before the violent shaking intensified, giving her only seconds to react before everything around her began moving.

The impact was also felt at medical facilities. At Caracas' Hospital de Clínicas, staff were asked to double their night shifts as casualties arrived. 

Videos from the hospital showed hanging ceiling panels, cracked walls and debris scattered across corridors. Social media footage also appeared to show damage at Venezuela's main airport and collapsed buildings in the coastal city of La Guaira, although Reuters could not independently verify those videos.

Several municipalities cancelled classes and public events as authorities began assessing the full extent of the destruction. The U.S. Embassy in Caracas urged American citizens to seek safe shelter and stay away from damaged buildings while emergency operations continued.

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System briefly issued a tsunami alert for Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, warning that hazardous waves could also affect Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire. The alert was withdrawn about an hour later.

Venezuela lies along the boundary of the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates, making it prone to major seismic activity. The country last witnessed catastrophic earthquake devastation in 1812, when an estimated 30,000 people were killed in one of the deadliest quakes in its history.

ALSO READ: Twin Earthquakes In Venezuela: 7.5 Magnitude Tremor Rocks Venezuela After 7.1 Shock, Buildings Collapse In Caracas | WATCH