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Two powerful earthquakes of magnitude 7.5 struck Venezuela on Wednesday afternoon, causing alarm among Dominican residents in New York City who are struggling to contact relatives. The quakes were felt in parts of the Dominican Republic, including the capital, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Source: Hoy DigitalSource: El Caribe.
The first tremor, initially reported as magnitude 7.2, was later classified as a precursor to the main 7.5 quake. The epicenter was near Morón, Carabobo state, about 200 km west of Caracas, prompting evacuations of numerous buildings in the capital. The USGS notes that earthquakes between 7.0 and 7.9 occur about 18 times a year and can cause serious damage over large areas.
Dominicans in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx expressed concern, saying they have been unable to reach family members in Venezuela Source: Hoy Digital. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello stated on local media that houses and buildings collapsed and urged residents to evacuate buildings to stay safe from aftershocks. He added that all security and assistance agencies, civil protection, volunteers, firefighters, and police are deployed Source: El Caribe.
“Los quisqueyanos residentes en el Alto Manhattan y El Bronx han expresado que no se han podido comunicar con sus familiares en dicha nación.”
“El ministro del Interior, Diosdado Cabello, afirmó en medios locales que casas y edificios colapsaron por el sismo... 'todos los organismos de seguridad y asistencia, protección civil, voluntarios, bomberos y policías están desplegados'.”
“Las autoridades precisaron que el primer movimiento telúrico, inicialmente reportado con una magnitud de 7.2, fue reclasificado como un sismo precursor del terremoto de 7.5.”