Massive devastation in Venezuela from 7.5 magnitude earthquakes. Baseball match halted, emergency declared.
At the time the devastating tremors were felt, an important baseball match was underway in the stadium in the capital, Caracas.
Suddenly, the entire ground began to shake violently, causing panic among the players and thousands of spectators in the stadium, leading to screams everywhere.
A stampede-like situation arose as people scrambled to save their lives. Players and spectators left everything behind and immediately ran out of the stadium towards safer locations.
In light of the serious situation in the country, Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez has declared a national emergency in an address.
She stated that after the two main earthquakes of 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, about 20 aftershocks have also been felt, meaning the danger is not yet over.
The President has appealed to the people to stay out of their homes for the time being and to give way to ambulances and other emergency vehicles involved in rescue operations.
As a precautionary measure, all schools and colleges across the country have been ordered to remain closed until further notice.
Additionally, all train services have been suspended with immediate effect due to the potential damage to the railway network.
The main Caracas International Airport in the capital has also been closed due to damage from the earthquake, bringing air traffic to a standstill.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the first earthquake of 7.2 magnitude struck near the city of San Felipe at 3:34 AM Indian Standard Time.
Its depth was 21.9 kilometers below the ground. Just 38 seconds later, at 3:35 AM, a second, more powerful earthquake of 7.5 magnitude occurred near the town of Yumare.
This second earthquake was more destructive because its depth was merely 10 kilometers, causing its impact on the surface to be felt much more intensely.
Due to these powerful earthquakes, many residential buildings and houses have collapsed like a house of cards. A large number of people are feared to be trapped under the rubble.
The government has launched a large-scale rescue operation. The army and rescue teams are working day and night to extract people trapped in the debris.
According to some media reports, there are grim fears that the death toll in this disaster could reach anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000.
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