Venezuela has declared a national state of emergency after a powerful earthquake doublet struck the country’s northwestern coast, leaving at least 32 people dead, more than 700 injured and causing widespread destruction in Caracas and surrounding regions.
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez announced the emergency measures yesterday, mobilising health workers, suspending school classes and ordering a military-led rescue operation as authorities raced to locate survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
According to preliminary reports, a magnitude 7.2 foreshock struck near the coastal town of Yumare, approximately 160 kilometres west of Caracas, before a stronger magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit just 39 seconds later.
The twin quakes occurred at a depth of about ten kilometres along a major strike-slip fault system and were followed by more than 20 aftershocks, further complicating rescue efforts.
Officials warned that the death toll could rise significantly as emergency crews continued search-and-rescue operations in heavily affected areas.
In Caracas, several buildings reportedly collapsed in the districts of Altamira and Palos Grandes, trapping residents beneath concrete and steel. Emergency responders worked through the night using heavy equipment and sniffer dogs to search for survivors.
Authorities also reported significant damage in Falcón state, where rescue teams were deployed to assist communities affected by collapsed structures and damaged infrastructure.
The Simón Bolívar International Airport, Venezuela’s main gateway, was forced to suspend operations after sections of its terminal sustained structural damage during the earthquakes.
Residents across the capital spent the night in open spaces, parks and public plazas amid fears of additional aftershocks.
Although tsunami advisories were initially issued following the earthquakes, regional monitoring agencies later lifted all warnings. Officials nevertheless urged caution in coastal areas as a precautionary measure.
The disaster has prompted an international response.
The United States announced that a specialised disaster assistance team was being mobilised and pledged humanitarian and medical support for affected communities.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also confirmed that his government was coordinating relief assistance through the country’s Foreign Ministry to support recovery and emergency operations.
Emergency officials have urged residents to remain alert, avoid damaged buildings and follow instructions from local authorities as assessments of the full scale of the disaster continue.
The earthquakes are among the strongest to strike Venezuela in recent decades and have renewed concerns about the vulnerability of urban areas to major seismic events.
