"Cars Shook and Furniture Toppled in Earthquake… No Reports of Korean Casualties Yet"

As casualties are expected to mount following a series of powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 (local time), there have been no reports of damage involving Korean nationals so far.

An official from the South Korean Embassy in Venezuela said in a phone call on the afternoon of June 24, "We have not received any reports of damage thus far," adding, "While we do not have an exact grasp of the situation yet, it does not seem to be as severe as what has been reported in the media."

The official added, "I was in my car when the earthquake occurred. It felt like it shook for about a minute. It was my first time experiencing something like this, so it was quite alarming."

According to the embassy and local residents, there are approximately 125 Korean expatriates currently living in Venezuela.

Moon Ik-hwan, a director at the Korean Association in Venezuela, also stated, "I heard news that a building collapsed in Caracas and that parts of a highway had crumbled. I have heard reports of LED TVs and cupboards toppling over in Korean households, but I have not heard any news of casualties among Koreans so far."

However, he added, "While there is no major damage in the capital, Caracas, there are two Korean families living relatively close to the epicenter, so we are currently trying to contact them."

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck near Montalban in the north-central region, 168 km west of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, at 6:00 p.m. on June 24.

Less than a minute later, a larger magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck 45 km away from the epicenter of the first quake.

The depths of the two earthquakes were shallow, at 13 km and 10 km below the surface, respectively.

The USGS explained, "These were 'twin earthquakes' that occurred in succession," noting that the magnitude 7.2 foreshock occurred 39 seconds before the magnitude 7.5 mainshock.

The USGS estimated that the earthquakes could potentially result in between 10,000 and 100,000 fatalities, but Venezuelan authorities have not yet released an official count of casualties.

The last earthquake comparable to this one in Venezuela occurred in 2018.

At that time, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Sucre State, affecting at least 10 countries, including Brazil and Guyana.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.