Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday, killing at least 164 people and injuring 971, as dozens of buildings collapsed in and around the capital, Caracas, leaving piles of shattered concrete and steel.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a magnitude 7.2 quake hit about 160 km west of Caracas at approximately 6:04 pm local time (22:04 GMT), followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 tremor. The Venezuelan government declared a state of emergency.

The USGS warned that the death toll could rise significantly, with predictive models estimating potential fatalities in the thousands and a substantial probability of exceeding 10,000. The heaviest damage occurred in the Altamira district of Caracas, where a 22-story building collapsed, and emergency crews are searching for survivors.

Venezuela lies along the boundary between the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates, making it highly prone to earthquakes. Historically, a devastating quake in 1812 killed about 30,000 people in Mérida and Caracas, while a 1967 earthquake in Caracas caused several high-rises to collapse, killing 240.

The USGS warned of strong aftershocks in the coming days. The region, home to about 50 million people, is at high risk due to informal housing and poorly constructed buildings that cannot withstand strong shaking. The Pacific Ring of Fire, which includes Japan, the Philippines, and the western Americas, accounts for roughly 90% of the world's earthquakes.

Source: www.aljazeera.com