Venezuela Hit by Two Powerful Earthquakes Minutes Apart

Caracas. Two powerful earthquakes were felt in the Caribbean coastal area of Venezuela just 39 seconds apart on Wednesday evening. According to the US Tsunami Warning Center, the main earthquake in this series of seismic activities was 7.5 magnitude. Initially, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake was reported, but after detailed analysis of seismic data, officials reclassified it as a foreshock before the main 7.5 magnitude earthquake. The US Tsunami Warning Center has described this event as a 'seismic doublet', a natural phenomenon where two large earthquakes occur in the same region within a short interval of seconds. Official records have been corrected, and the 7.5 magnitude earthquake is now registered as the main event. The tsunami warning issued for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands following this earthquake in Venezuela's coastal area was later rescinded by the tsunami warning system. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter of this earthquake was in Montalbán municipality of Carabobo state in the central region of Venezuela, about 300 kilometers east of the capital Caracas. This earthquake, occurring at a depth of only 13.2 kilometers below the Earth's surface, is considered a shallow earthquake. Venezuelan authorities have not yet confirmed the extent of damage caused by this powerful earthquake. Venezuelan state media, Venezolana de Television (VTV), reported on its Telegram channel, citing social media reports, that strong tremors were felt in various parts of the country, including Caracas, after 6 PM on Wednesday. VTV stated that official confirmation regarding potential damage is still pending from Venezuela's Funvisis (Fundación Venezolana de Investigaciones Sismológicas). Earlier, a similar large earthquake occurred in Venezuela in 2018, when a 7.3 magnitude earthquake centered in Sucre state affected at least 10 countries in the region, including Brazil, Guyana, and various Caribbean islands.