The images coming to light following the two powerful earthquakes—measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale—that struck Venezuela are shocking, causing widespread destruction and the deaths of many people. The tragic death toll continues to rise… buildings reduced to rubble, mountains of debris, families in desperate moments trying to find people who were buried alive. Near the epicenter of the earthquake, teams from the French News Agency witnessed horrific scenes of destruction, raising concerns that the death toll will continue to rise significantly.

Speaking on the “Alpha Kalimera” program, Professor of Dynamic Tectonics and Applied Geology, Efthymios Lekkas, emphasized that these were two earthquakes that occurred within just 30 seconds.

“In a very short time—before the first tremor had even ended—the second tremor struck. This combination was catastrophic. The two earthquakes occurred along major fault lines that run through northern Venezuela. Not only did large-scale structures collapse, but smaller buildings also collapsed. I believe this is a major disaster for Venezuela. It will take a very long time for the country to recover, and the impact on the gross national product is around 10%.”

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According to Mr. Lekkas, if one considers the energy released by the two quakes, it is equivalent to “about 150 atomic bombs like the ones dropped on Hiroshima”.

“The energy released is enormous, and of course it resulted in the destruction of every structure along these fault lines. We cannot know what aftershocks may follow, but we have in the back of our minds that an earthquake of magnitude 6.5 could occur in the region.”

READ ALSO: Apocalyptic Scenes in Venezuela After the Double Earthquake

The area hardest hit is the state of La Guaira, north of the capital Caracas, where the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maquetía is located—which has been closed due to the damage it sustained—and the coastal city of Catia la Mar, where many buildings collapsed.