7.1 Earthquake Halts Venezuela’s LMBP Game in Caracas

earthquake halts – A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Caracas during the first inning of a pro baseball broadcast, triggering chaotic scenes at the stadium and widespread fear as a second, 7.5-magnitude quake followed. Despite no reported injuries at the venue, officials faced cr

The first pitch hadn’t even settled into the game when the stadium screens seemed to breathe—then the cameras started shaking wildly.

Wednesday in Caracas. the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit the city was on full display during the opening inning of a pro baseball broadcast on LMBP TV. the national league’s YouTube channel. As the Carabobo Mariners and Caracas Senators players scrambled from their dugouts. they sprinted toward shallow centerfield. the spot they believed would be safest from any potential falling debris.

Only moments earlier, Mariners batter Bryant Flete was digging in. Behind home plate, cables suspending the netting around the backstop swung from side to side. The home plate umpire removed his mask and looked up toward the press box. Announcers could be heard losing their composure, then abruptly leaving the booth.

Nobody appears to have been hurt at the stadium, but the panic was unmistakable.

That quake would soon be followed by another shock. The first of two earthquakes struck Caracas on Wednesday, and the second—measured at 7.5—came shortly after. The US Geological Survey (USGS) estimated the first quake at 7.1 before revising it to 7.2. Its epicenter was west of the community of Morón. along Venezuela’s Caribbean coast. about 168 kilometers (104 miles) west of Caracas. and it was measured at a depth of 22 kilometers.

A minute later, the USGS reported an even larger 7.5-magnitude earthquake. That second quake had a depth of 10 kilometers, with its epicenter 16 kilometers (10 miles) southwest of Morón.

The timing deepened the fear. People evacuated swaying buildings in the capital as entire walls collapsed, leaving furniture visible from the street. Dust columns rose in two Caracas neighborhoods where restaurants and other businesses are typically busy. The streets soon filled with the sounds of emergency movement—collapsed buildings, toppled electric poles, and debris blocking roads. Parts of the capital lost power, and cellphone signal also disappeared.

Caracas resident Hector Ricci described the moment from inside his home: “It started off gently and then gradually grew, and in the end, we all had to leave our houses, go outside and gather together.”

Even when the shaking stopped, the disorientation didn’t.

People remained outside for hours, even after sunset. Some sat on the ground hugging their pets as dust gathered around them. The breakdown in cellphone service sharpened the distress for many families. particularly among Venezuela’s population of more than 7.7 million people who have left the country during its protracted crisis.

Across the political divide, the quake also triggered a sharp argument over communication. Acting president Delcy Rodríguez said late Wednesday that she was preparing to address the nation. Her failure to speak within three hours of the earthquake—combined with the fact that her government did not provide a report of injuries or fatalities in that time—was met with criticism from politicians and Venezuelans.

Edmundo González. the opposition’s 2024 presidential candidate. said on X: “The uncertainty becomes yet another layer of anguish.” Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. speaking from exile on X. urged calm: “May strength. serenity. and solidarity prevail among us in the face of this difficult time.”.

The emergency spread beyond Venezuela’s borders. While buildings collapsed in Venezuela, some buildings in Brazil’s Amazon—about 1,000 miles away—were reportedly evacuated. In Brazil, reports on TV Globo said buildings in Manaus, Belem and Macapá were evacuated.

The earthquakes were also felt in Colombia’s Caribbean and northeast regions. There were no reports of damages or injuries there. The Colombian Maritime Authority said in a statement that the country’s Caribbean coast is at no risk of tsunami.

Tsunami warnings moved through the region as well. The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami alert for the Virgin Islands. Authorities in the Dominican Republic also issued an alert for the island. An alert for Puerto Rico was quickly lifted.

Such strong earthquakes are unusual for Venezuela. The country sits near multiple fault lines. but because it lies between the South American and Caribbean plates. earthquakes are typically less common than in other parts of Latin America. Along the Pacific coast—where Mexico and Chile lie—earthquakes occur frequently. Those two countries sit along the seismically active tectonic belt known as the “Pacific Ring of Fire. ” which the USGS says is responsible for 90 percent of earthquakes.

As the crisis continued, the scale of potential harm remained alarming. The USGS is estimating anywhere between 10,000 and 100,000 deaths.

Back in Caracas. the baseball game that had been rolling forward moments earlier turned into a reminder that sports arenas—and the lives inside them—can become accident scenes in seconds. In the first inning, players ran for safety while the stadium itself shook. Outside the ballpark, the shaking didn’t stop at the walls. It followed people onto streets that stayed crowded for hours. with dust hanging in the air and signal bars offering no answers.

Venezuela earthquake Caracas LMBP TV Carabobo Mariners Caracas Senators Bryant Flete Delcy Rodriguez Edmundo Gonzalez Maria Corina Machado USGS tsunami alert