At least 32 people have been confirmed dead and more than 700 others injured after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela, causing widespread destruction and triggering a nationwide state of emergency.
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez announced the casualty figures early Thursday, noting that the number could rise as authorities continue rescue operations in some of the worst-hit areas.
The twin earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), struck on Wednesday and caused multiple buildings to collapse, including structures in the capital city, Caracas.
“At this time, we have received reports of 32 deaths and more than 700 injured,” Rodriguez said, adding that officials were still assessing the full extent of the damage in La Guaira, one of the regions most severely affected.
The government also reported at least 20 aftershocks following the initial tremors, increasing fears among residents and complicating rescue efforts.
In Caracas, emergency responders, volunteers and residents searched through piles of rubble for survivors. A 22-story building in the Altamira district was completely destroyed, while several other structures sustained significant damage.
“The stairs came away, the whole wall cracked. Things fell from the ceiling. It was horrible,” said Odalis Escalona, a 54-year-old bank employee who experienced the quake.
The first earthquake struck approximately 21 kilometres west of the coastal town of Moron at 2204 GMT. Less than a minute later, a second and stronger quake hit roughly 45 kilometres away.
The USGS described the event as a seismic doublet, explaining that the magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred just 39 seconds after the magnitude 7.2 foreshock.
The powerful tremors sparked panic throughout the country, forcing thousands of people into the streets as buildings shook violently.
Venezuela’s Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, urged residents to remain cautious and announced the temporary suspension of gas supplies in some buildings to prevent possible explosions.
“We have some damaged structures and we don’t want any kind of accident involving gas to occur,” he said.
The Maiquetia International Airport near Caracas was shut down after authorities reported significant damage to its infrastructure. Images circulating online showed visible structural destruction at the facility.
Residents recounted terrifying experiences during the disaster.
“It was unbelievable, I don’t even know how long it lasted,” said shopkeeper Heidi Romero, who escaped from a shopping centre using emergency stairs.
Another resident, Carmen Guedez, said she was caring for her bedridden sister when the earthquake struck.
“It kept getting stronger. I started to see the windows begin to move and then everything shook,” she said.
The states of Trujillo, Carabobo, Miranda and La Guaira were identified as the areas most severely impacted by the disaster.
The earthquakes were also felt beyond Venezuela’s borders. In Colombia, alarms sounded in several cities, including the capital, Bogota, prompting precautionary evacuations.
Colombia’s National Seismological Network confirmed receiving more than 200 reports from citizens who felt the tremors. Authorities, however, ruled out any tsunami threat.
The US National Tsunami Warning Center also confirmed that there was no tsunami danger following the earthquakes.
International reactions quickly followed the disaster.
US President Donald Trump expressed sympathy for the victims and offered American assistance.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“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,” he added.
Venezuela has experienced major earthquakes in the past, including a deadly 1967 quake in Caracas that killed 236 people and a 1997 earthquake in the northeast of the country that claimed 73 lives.
Authorities continue search-and-rescue operations as emergency teams work to locate survivors and assess the full scale of the devastation.
