Tragedy strikes in Venezuela as powerful twin earthquakes kills 32 people and injured over 700 others.
Speaking after the massive shocks collapsed entire buildings and sent people running in panic, the Venezuelan interim president, Rodriguez confirmed the death toll.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that two powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, struck the same region of Venezuela on Wednesday, collapsing buildings in the capital and shutting down the country’s main airport.
Following the disaster, leader Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency as rescue workers and residents searched through piles of rubble for survivors.
Addressing the nation early Thursday, Rodriguez said, “At this time, we have received reports of 32 deaths” and “more than 700 injured,” adding she did not yet have data on the “hardest-hit region” of La Guaira, located near the capital.
Trump Reacts To Massive Twin Quakes
Reacting to the development, US president Donald Trump said on Wednesday that “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.”
Taking to his Truth social platform, he wrote “The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly.”
Read Also: Trump Stirs Controversy with Graphic Showing Venezuela as‘51st US State’
Impact of the Quakes
According to the USGS, the first quake, with an epicenter 21 kilometers (13 miles) west of the coastal town of Moron, occurred at 2204 GMT. Within a minute, a 7.5-magnitude quake struck about 45 kilometers away.
It said, “This earthquake was the second event in a doublet. This magnitude 7.5 mainshock was preceded by 39 seconds by a 7.2 foreshock.”
Meanwhile, An AFP journalist also disclosed that he saw a 22-story building completely destroyed in the capital’s Altamira neighborhood, where people cried out relatives’ names as volunteers climbed over the rubble.
Speaking on his part, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello urged residents to evacuate their homes, adding that authorities cut gas supplies to several buildings as a precautionary measure.
Delcy Rodríguez said authorities closed Maiquetia International Airport near Caracas after the earthquakes caused significant damage to its infrastructure. Photos shared on social media showed extensive destruction across parts of the facility.
Meanwhile, dozens of residents in the capital evacuated buildings and gathered outdoors before eventually returning to their homes and workplaces.
Furthermore, Diosdado Cabello identified Trujillo, Carabobo, Miranda, and La Guaira as the states that suffered the most severe impact from the disaster.
However, the Colombian disaster management agency UNGRD have ruled out the possibility of a tsunami taking place in the aftermath.
“NO tsunami, NO danger from a recent earthquake,” the US National Tsunami Warning Center said in an X post.
Backstory…
The twin earthquakes comes only few months after president Trump described himself as the “Acting President of Venezuela,” igniting fresh round of controversy about his true intention for the oil-rich country.
The US president in January, made this declaration on his Truth social media platform.
This comes just days after Trump issued an Executive Order declaring a national emergency to prevent judicial seizure or legal attachment of Venezuelan oil earnings held in US Treasury accounts.
According to President Trump, the action is intended to further US national security and foreign policy goals.
