Venezuela's Double Quake, Explained

Back-to-back magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes struck 100 miles west of Caracas, collapsing buildings and disrupting airport, metro, and train service.

1. Frame 1Two magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes strike west of Caracas; residents face safety risk as buildings collapse.
2. Frame 2USGS measured magnitude 7.2, then 7.5 less than a minute later, a damaging doublet near Venezuela's capital.
3. Frame 3The epicenter sat about 100 miles west of Caracas, close enough for intense shaking in the capital.
4. Frame 4Officials said buildings and houses collapsed in Caracas, sending emergency crews into damaged structures after nightfall.
5. Frame 5Authorities closed the damaged main airport and halted metro and train systems, turning transport into a response bottleneck.
6. Frame 6The watch now is official casualty counts and whether airport, metro, and train shutdowns slow rescue access.