Venezuela's quake began with a 'soft shake' and then the lights went out

A rare pair of earthquakes struck Venezuela this week, with Caracas bearing the brunt of the impact. Residents watched as buildings collapsed in what's called the pancaking effect—sudden structural failure triggered by intense ground motion. Power outages spread across the capital. According to ABC News Australia, such paired seismic events are uncommon for the region, making this week's tremors a particularly severe occurrence.

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