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Frightened travelers ran for their lives inside a Venezuelan airport moments before the building’s ceiling partially collapsed as two powerful earthquakes decimated the South American country.The back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude tremors destroyed portions of Simon Bolivar International Airport, just outside of the capital city of Caracas, on Wednesday, according to video shot by former Venezuelan lawmaker Wilmer Azuaje.The 49-year-old ex-politician was inside the Maiquetia airport — Venezuela’s largest and busiest hub — just after 6 p.m.when the building began to violently shake.Azuaje, the former deputy of the National Assembly of Venezuela, filmed the terrifying ordeal as panels and bricks fell from the ceiling, sending dust flying through the terminal as other travelers’ screams were drowned out by the loud crashing sounds.Two women barely escaped harm’s way when a portion of the building collapsed onto the terminal concourse.Azuaje toured the damaged building after the shaking subsided, showing the amount of debris that had piled on the floors and desks at the airport.The violent tremors killed at least 32 people and injured over 700, Venezuelan acting-President Delcy Rodriguez said.Most Venezuelans had been home at the time of the quake, celebrating the Battle of Carabobo Day, a public holiday marking the 1821 victory that helped secure the country’s independence from Spain. The two epicenters were located three miles apart outside the town of Yumare near San Felipe, roughly 100 miles west of Caracas.The tremors struck just over 30 seconds apart, according to the US Geological Survey.
Rodriguez said La Guaira state, which hosts the international airport, was struck the hardest.“Dozens of buildings have collapsed, and we are currently carrying out very intense rescue efforts to save as many lives as God allows us to save,” she said early Thursday morning.Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
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