Powerful Earthquakes Shake Venezuela, Resulting in 32 Fatalities and 700 Injuries
Poinews.com – Following consecutive earthquakes that rattled Venezuela, acting-President Delcy Rodríguez confirmed at least 32 deaths and over 700 injuries. The tremors, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, occurred on Wednesday evening, prompting evacuations in cities as distant as the Amazon region of Brazil, approximately 1,700 kilometers from Caracas. Rodríguez addressed the nation late that day, stating the quakes had caused significant damage across multiple states.
Details of the Earthquakes
The U.S. Geological Survey first reported the initial quake as 7.1, later adjusting it to 7.2. Its epicenter was located west of Morón, a coastal community near Caracas, at a depth of 22 kilometers. Just one minute later, a stronger 7.5-magnitude quake struck, with an epicenter 16 kilometers southwest of Morón and a shallower depth of 10 kilometers. Both events occurred shortly after 6 pm local time, marking some of the most intense seismic activity in Venezuela in over a century.
Infrastructure and Emergency Measures
Damage to Venezuela’s primary airport, Simón Bolívar International, forced its closure. The Ministry of Education announced that schools in affected areas would serve as temporary shelters and donation hubs. Rodríguez called for public calm, emphasizing unity, and directed healthcare workers to report to hospitals for emergency response. She also declared a state of emergency, suspending subway and natural gas services in Caracas and encouraging citizens to use a government app to report damage.
“We urge our population to remain calm,” said Rodríguez. “We urge unity.”
In the capital, Caracas, collapsed buildings and toppled electric poles disrupted daily life. Residents described scenes of chaos, with walls crumpling and furniture visible from the streets. Dust clouds rose in two busy neighborhoods, and people stayed outdoors for hours, even after sunset. Some held pets close as debris piled up around them. Power outages and loss of cell phone reception added to the disruption.
“It started off gently and then gradually grew, and in the end, we all had to leave our houses, go outside and gather together,” shared Hector Ricci, a Caracas resident.
Reacting to the disaster, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social account: “The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths.” He noted the U.S. was prepared to offer assistance. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged immediate deployment of search and rescue teams, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid to support the affected regions.
