Two powerful earthquakes rocked Venezuela, killing at least 32 people and injuring more than 700 others, with dozens of buildings collapsing across parts of the country. Rescue teams worked against the clock overnight.
The twin earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitudes, struck within less than a minute of each other on Wednesday evening, sparking panic in Caracas and surrounding states, authorities said. The death toll is expected to rise as emergency workers continue to search through rubble in some of the worst-affected areas.
The worst-affected area was La Guaira State, where many buildings collapsed, prompting President Delcy RodrÃguez to declare a state of emergency. The official toll published so far does not include victims from some communities that have suffered heavy damage, she said.
In Caracas, rescuers worked through the night searching collapsed buildings, shouting for survivors buried in concrete and mangled metal. Emergency crews were retrieving bodies from destroyed residential buildings and continuing to search for missing people.
The earthquakes also affected services used by the public extensively. Power was cut to several communities, water mains ruptured, flooding roads, and metro and rail services were suspended to assist in rescue and recovery efforts.
Authorities also closed Simón BolÃvar International Airport after it sustained widespread structural damage.
Government officials urged residents to use emergency platforms to report missing relatives and opened temporary shelters and hotels for families displaced by the disaster.
The international community is already coming to the rescue. Search-and-rescue teams, medical personnel and humanitarian aid to support relief efforts have been pledged by the United States, Mexico, Brazil, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Qatar and several Caribbean nations.
The quake, which had a magnitude of 7.5, was the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Emergency responders continue operations in affected areas and seismologists have warned that aftershocks remain possible.
With hundreds injured, critical infrastructure damaged and many residents still missing, Venezuelan authorities said the focus is on finding survivors and providing urgent help to communities ravaged by the disaster.
