Agencies | Caracas:
At least 32 people were killed and more than 700 injured after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Thursday, Interim President Delcy Rodriguez said, as rescue workers continued searching through collapsed buildings for survivors.
Authorities warned that the death toll is likely to rise as emergency teams gain access to more affected areas.
According to Reuters, the first earthquake, measuring magnitude 7.2, struck approximately 160 kilometres west of Caracas. Less than a minute later, a stronger magnitude 7.5 quake hit the region, causing widespread destruction in and around the Venezuelan capital.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) warned of potentially severe humanitarian consequences.
“High casualties and extensive damage are probable, and the disaster is likely widespread,” the USGS said, initially estimating that fatalities could range between 10,000 and 100,000.
In response, Rodriguez declared a state of emergency and appealed for financial assistance from multilateral organisations to support relief and reconstruction efforts.
Emergency crews worked throughout the evening after multiple buildings collapsed in Caracas. Distraught families gathered near damaged structures, anxiously awaiting news of relatives believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said authorities had mobilised all available resources to respond to the disaster.
“We have buildings, homes and houses which have collapsed, and we are taking care of things with everything we have available in terms of security and civil assistance,” Cabello said on state television.
In Caracas’ Chacao municipality, Mayor Gustavo Duque confirmed that several buildings had collapsed following the earthquakes. He said rescue teams had already pulled 18 survivors from one damaged structure and urged residents to move to public plazas and open spaces due to the risk of aftershocks.
“We’re going to do everything we can to rescue the most people possible,” Duque said.
Elsewhere, Falcon Governor Victor Clark reported that 22 people were injured in the coastal state, while search operations continued for 15 missing adults.
The earthquakes struck during a public holiday commemorating an 1821 military victory that helped secure Venezuela’s independence from Spain, meaning many residents were inside their homes when the tremors hit.
Hospitals across Caracas began preparing for a surge in casualties. Reuters reported that staff at Hospital de Clínicas were instructed to double the night shift to help treat the injured.
Rodriguez also announced that Venezuela’s largest airport at Maiquetia had been closed after sustaining damage. Authorities cancelled classes for the remainder of the week as officials assessed the full extent of the destruction.
While Venezuela’s oil infrastructure appeared to have escaped immediate damage, energy companies began accounting for personnel and inspecting facilities.
A tsunami warning issued by the US Tsunami Warning System for Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands following the earthquakes was withdrawn approximately one hour later.
