Two earthquakes with magnitudes 7.5 and 7.2 struck in northern Venezuela around 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday, reports said. the United States Geological Survey USGS. Videos and photos from international news agencies show that several buildings in the Venezuelan capital Caracas have collapsed or otherwise suffered significant damage. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has declared a state of emergency.
USGS takes into account thousands to tens of thousands of victims and a lot of damage: “The disaster will probably spread over a large area.” Acting President Delcy Rodríguez reported Thursday morning that at least 32 people have been killed and more than 700 people have been injured. US President Donald Trump previously wrote on Truth Social that the quakes “a devastating number of lives” had demanded, but did not yet mention any numbers.
Panic
Alejandra Perez was rocked by the earthquake while watching the Brazil-Scotland match at home with her family. “The entire ground shook and I heard a huge noise. I went outside and people were running in panic through the streets. In the block behind us, an entire residential tower has collapsed,” she says by telephone. NRC.
She sends videos and photos of the damage near her home, showing emergency responders in helmets bending over the debris. Because of the Football World Cup and because it was a national day off in Venezuela – the commemoration of an important battle of freedom fighter Simon Bolivar – many people were at home.
Paula Navas also felt the earthquake and an aftershock in the Petare neighborhood of Caracas. Her house was spared, but houses in a lower part of the neighborhood collapsed, she said via WhatsApp. “We don’t know yet how big the disaster is, because it is now night. I can only pray that as many people as possible will be saved and the number of victims will not be too bad, but I fear the worst,” she says.
Schools and Caracas airport closed
The Venezuelan government has set up a national crisis center and schools are closed for the rest of the week. Non-essential work has also been halted to prioritize rescue operations and care for the injured.
Immediately after the earthquake, power and internet went out in large parts of Caracas. Local news showed that there was also significant damage to the city’s airport. Parts of the roof have collapsed, kicking up thick clouds of gray dust. The airport is closed.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said in a speech that the quake was felt in several states and he warned residents to stay outside due to the risk of aftershocks.
The United States has offered assistance to the Venezuelan government, saying it will send search and rescue teams, medical and humanitarian supplies and other resources. “We are in contact with the authorities and are mobilizing assistance,” writes US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on X. He calls the earthquakes “devastating.”
People run into the streets in Caracas
Photo Federico Parra / AFP
Rescue worker carries an injured man away in Caracas.
Photo Ariana Cubillos / AP
Emergency services at work at a collapsed building in Caracas.
Photo Gaby Oraa / Reuters
Impact on the entire region
The main quake occurred west of Caracas at a depth of 10 kilometers and was preceded by a magnitude 7.2 quake off the coast of Venezuela. The US tsunami warning system issued a warning for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, but it has since been withdrawn. Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire also do not have to fear dangerous waves.
According to the ANP news agency, the earthquake was felt in Curaçao and also in the neighboring countries Colombia and Brazil. Buildings have been evacuated in the cities of Manaus, Belem and Macapá in the Brazilian Amazon, according to TV Globo. Venezuela is located in a seismically active area on the border of the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates.
With the collaboration of Nina Jurna.
This message has been updated several times after its initial publication with new information about the earthquakes and their consequences.
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A collapsed building in Caracas after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake in northern Venezuela.
Photo Manaure Quintero / AFP
