Venezuela has declared a state of emergency after two earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 struck the country's northern coast, killing at least 32 people and injuring hundreds more.
The quakes hit just 40 seconds apart while many Venezuelans were at home celebrating a public holiday — the strongest to strike the country in more than 125 years.
Simon Bolivar International Airport, which serves the capital Caracas, has been shut down, and a large waterfront hotel in the coastal city of Macuto has collapsed.
Jon Bonfiglio, a reporter based in Mexico City, describes the emerging picture.
IN: “We expect high...”
OUT: “...to serious damage.”
DUR: 26 seconds
http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0625-0651bonfiglio-venezuelaquake1.mp3
(ALT)
Jon Bonfiglio, a reporter based in Mexico City, says Caracas sits in a steep valley with a high water table, and decades of poor building practice have left it ill-prepared for a major earthquake.
IN: “One of the...”
OUT: “...an ongoing problem.”
DUR: 29 seconds
http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0625-0651bonfiglio-venezuelaquake3.mp3