Venezuela rocked by powerful back-to-back earthquakes

Rescue workers carry a person on a stretcher out of a collapsed building after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Caracas, Venezuela. Photograph: Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Rescue workers carry a person on a stretcher out of a collapsed building after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Caracas, Venezuela. Photograph: Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images Venezuela rocked by powerful back-to-back earthquakes Homes and buildings collapse in first magnitude 7.1 earthquake, with tremors felt in neighbouring Colombia A strong earthquake shook north-central Venezuela on Wednesday afternoon, west ⁠of Caracas, with residents in neighbouring Colombia also reporting feeling tremors. The earthquake registered at ⁠a magnitude 7.1 ⁠in ​Venezuela, about an hour west of the city Valencia at a depth of 13km (8 miles), according to the ⁠US Geological Survey. A second powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 struck shortly after. The US Geological Survey said the second quake had a depth of 10km and its epicentre was 16km (10 miles) south-west of Morón. Many Venezuelans were at home when the first quake hit, celebrating a public holiday commemorating an ⁠1821 military victory which secured Venezuela’s independence from Spain. View image in fullscreen Municipal police officers evacuate an injured person from a collapsed building Photograph: Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images Residents in Caracas ​rushed to evacuate as the ‌quake shook buildings. Maria Romero, ‌an 80-year-old pensioner on the south side of Caracas, said that ‌the police helped her evacuate her building. “This earthquake was horrible, even worse than the one in 1967,” she added. According to videos from Reuters witnesses, fire trucks were on the streets in Caracas, and the facades of some buildings had suffered significant ‌damage. Many residents in Caracas lost power or internet service right after the quake. One witness said that cracks ​had formed up the side of their apartment and glass in the entryway had shattered. Power went down shortly after, the witness added. View image in fullscreen First responders search for victims. Photograph: Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images View image in fullscreen A building in Caracas damaged from the earthquake. Photograph: Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images “Several walls in my building broke open or cracks formed,” a witness ⁠in Valencia, to the west of Caracas, told Reuters. “As soon ​as it ​stopped [shaking] my husband and ​I evacuated.” The interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, said the quake could be felt in several states, adding that the Altamira neighbourhood in Caracas had “alarming situations” with collapsed homes and buildings. He urged people to remain outside as aftershocks could further damage some structures. He also suggested people were injured in the earthquake, asking motorists to clear to give way to ambulances and other emergency vehicles. “We understand that some people may be desperate, but we are acting according to protocols to ac