Venezuela faces one of the worst natural tragedies of recent decades after two powerful earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 were recorded. The earthquakes occurred just one minute apart during the early hours of Wednesday, devastating several regions of the country and leaving, so far, a toll of 164 dead and 971 injured, in addition to severe material damage.
The interim president Delcy Rodríguez confirmed the update of the victims this Thursday and declared a national emergency. Currently, rescue teams are working against the clock in search and rescue tasks among collapsed buildings and debris, with the state of La Guaira being the area most affected by the disaster.
Epicenter and impact on infrastructure
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), both seismic movements had their epicenter near Morón, Carabobo state.
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The first earthquake was recorded at a depth of 13 kilometers.
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The second occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers.
This shallow depth amplified the impact on the surface, causing the collapse of homes, buildings, and key infrastructure across much of the national territory. The fear of aftershocks has forced thousands of families to remain outside their homes.
Affected areas and government response
Authorities identified the most affected regions as the states of:
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La Guaira
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Miranda
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Aragua
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Carabobo
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Falcón
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Caracas (where partial collapses and structural damages were reported).
“The main thing is to rescue lives; then we will see how to tackle the reconstruction,” Rodríguez stated in a press conference.
Meanwhile, the Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, reported that several sectors remain without electricity supply and that the damage to routes complicates the deployment of emergency operations. As a preventive measure, the Government suspended classes and non-essential work activities for the rest of the week.
International solidarity
Given the magnitude of the disaster, the international community reacted quickly. Various governments offered humanitarian aid; among them, the United States, which announced the dispatch of technical assistance to collaborate in the rescue and recovery of essential services.
Due to the level of destruction and the number of victims, this event is already positioned among the most intense earthquakes recorded in Venezuela in more than a century, surpassing in impact the devastating earthquake that hit the country in 2018.
