Why were the Venezuelan earthquakes so severe?

AI Summary

Experts attribute the severity of recent Venezuelan earthquakes to their shallow geological source, which increased destruction around Caracas. Thousands are feared dead as the tremors devastated the capital and surrounding areas.

The 'relatively shallow' source of the Venezuela earthquakes helps explain the scale of destruction, Mark Allen, head of the Department of Earth Sciences at Durham University, said on Thursday, as thousands of Venezuelans were feared dead after two powerful earthquakes wreaked havoc in and around the capital Caracas.