At least 32 people have lost their lives, while more than 700 others were inju.red after two powerfulearthquakes struck Venezuela, leaving a trail of destruction, toppling buildings and sparking panic across the nation
The country’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, announced the casualty figures during a national broadcast on Thursday and declared a state of emergency as authorities respond to the disaster.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the twin earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, hit the same region on Wednesday. The tremors caused extensive damage in the capital, Caracas, and led to the shutdown of the nation’s main airport.
Rodriguez said authorities had confirmed 32 de.aths and more than 700 injuries, adding that emergency teams were still evaluating the situation in La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit areas.
She also revealed that at least 20 aftershocks had been recorded since the initial quakes.
Rescue personnel, volunteers and local residents have been searching through collapsed structures in a race to find survivors. In Caracas’ Altamira district, a 22-storey building crumbled completely, prompting frantic efforts by families looking for missing loved ones.
“The stairs came away, the whole wall cracked. Things fell from the ceiling. It was horrible,” said 54-year-old bank employee Odalis Escalona.
The first earthquake struck at 2204 GMT, with its epicentre located about 21 kilometres west of the coastal town of Moron. Just 39 seconds later, a stronger 7.5-magnitude quake hit approximately 45 kilometres away.
The USGS described the event as a seismic doublet, noting that the larger quake was preceded by a 7.2-magnitude foreshock less than a minute earlier.
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