At least 32 people have been killed and more than 700 injured after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela, causing widespread destruction, collapsing buildings and triggering panic across the country.
Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, confirmed the casualty figures in a national address on Thursday, while declaring a state of emergency following the disaster.
The twin earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, struck the same region on Wednesday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The tremors caused severe damage in the capital, Caracas, and forced the closure of the country’s main airport.
“At this time, we have received reports of 32 deaths” and “more than 700 injured,” Rodriguez said, noting that authorities were still assessing the situation in La Guaira, one of the areas worst affected by the disaster.
She also disclosed that at least 20 aftershocks had followed the initial earthquakes.
Rescue workers, volunteers and residents were seen combing through piles of rubble in search of survivors. In Caracas’ Altamira district, a 22-storey building collapsed completely, leaving families desperately searching for missing relatives.
“The stairs came away, the whole wall cracked. Things fell from the ceiling. It was horrible,” Odalis Escalona, a 54-year-old bank employee, said.
The first earthquake struck with its epicentre about 21 kilometres west of the coastal town of Moron at 2204 GMT. Less than a minute later, a second and stronger quake occurred roughly 45 kilometres away.
The USGS described the event as a seismic doublet, explaining that the 7.5-magnitude quake was preceded by a 7.2-magnitude foreshock just 39 seconds earlier.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello urged residents to evacuate damaged buildings, adding that gas supplies had been shut off in several areas to prevent explosions and other accidents.
“We have some damaged structures and we don’t want any kind of accident involving gas to occur,” Cabello said.
Rodriguez confirmed that the Maiquetia International Airport near Caracas had been closed after suffering significant infrastructure damage.
The earthquakes triggered scenes of panic across the capital, with residents rushing into the streets as buildings shook.
“It was unbelievable, I don’t even know how long it lasted,” said shopkeeper Heidi Romero, who escaped from a shopping centre through emergency stairways.
Carmen Guedez, a 69-year-old resident caring for her bedridden sister, said the shaking intensified rapidly.
“It kept getting stronger. I started to see the windows begin to move and then everything shook,” she said.
Authorities identified the states of Trujillo, Carabobo, Miranda and La Guaira as the hardest-hit areas.
The tremors were also felt beyond Venezuela’s borders, including in Colombia, where residents in the capital, Bogota, evacuated buildings as a precaution.
Colombia’s National Seismological Network said it received more than 200 reports of tremors across the country, while authorities warned that aftershocks could continue.
Both Colombian and United States authorities ruled out any tsunami threat following the earthquakes.
US President Donald Trump expressed sympathy for the victims and offered assistance, saying the United States stood ready to support relief efforts.
Venezuela has experienced several deadly earthquakes in its history, including a 1997 disaster in the northeast that claimed 73 lives and a 1967 earthquake in Caracas that killed 236 people.
AFP
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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