Two back-to-back earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 struck west of Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. The earthquakes came during the country’s afternoon hours, and Acting President Delcy Rodriguez declared a state of emergency.
32 people have been reportedly killed and 700 others injured, with estimates suggesting deaths could amount in the thousands. As buildings and infrastructure collapsed, many households have lost access to their houses, as well as access to basic needs and services.
The Venezuelan Red Cross told Reuters that damage assessments remain preliminary and the full human toll unknown. The organization’s headquarters itself was reportedly critically damaged.
Among the hardest hit areas is the state of La Guaira, which saw extreme destruction and widespread harm for the residing population.
Many countries across the globe expressed solidarity with Venezuela and offered to usher in support for relief and aid services.
Venezuela lies in a very seismically active zone where the Caribbean Plate meets the South American Plate. An earthquake in 1967 led buildings to collapse and killed 240 people, whereas another earthquake in 1812 caused tens of thousands of deaths according to various estimates.
