Venezuela was struck by an unusual back-to-back earthquake event on Wednesday, claiming the lives of at least 188 people and leaving more than 200 others trapped beneath rubble. Thousands more have been reported missing, and over 1,500 people have been injured. Officials fear the death toll will continue to climb.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, two powerful earthquakes — measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude — struck just 39 seconds apart along the San Sebastian fault on Venezuela’s northern coast. They rank among the strongest earthquakes to hit the South American country in over 100 years.
The first quake, a 7.2-magnitude foreshock, struck west of Morón on the Caribbean coast, roughly 170 kilometers (105 miles) west of the capital, Caracas, at a depth of 22 kilometers (about 14 miles). The second, a 7.5-magnitude mainshock, was centered about 16 kilometers (10 miles) southwest of Morón at a shallower depth of 10 kilometers (about 6 miles).
The U.S. Geological Survey described the pair as a seismic “doublet” — two earthquakes that are similar in magnitude, timing, and location. Both resulted from shallow strike-slip faulting near the boundary where the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates meet.
Some of the worst damage occurred in La Guaira, a coastal area north of Caracas. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez described the city as a “disaster zone” and confirmed that rescue teams from across Venezuela have been deployed there. La Guaira sits approximately 165 kilometers (103 miles) east of the 7.5-magnitude quake’s epicenter, where dozens of buildings have collapsed.
Rescue workers and civilians worked side by side to pull survivors from concrete debris, many of them covered in dust and blood. Families gathered in tears outside the wreckage of their homes. Desperate relatives posted missing-person flyers and shared handwritten lists of names in search of loved ones still unaccounted for.
The destruction extended well beyond La Guaira. Buildings in downtown Caracas were damaged, and evacuations were reported as far away as Brazil’s Amazon region, approximately 1,700 kilometers (1,050 miles) from the epicenter. Hundreds of Caracas residents spent the night outdoors in parks and parking lots after losing power and cellphone service. Venezuela’s main airport in Caracas was damaged and shut down, subway service was suspended, and natural gas supplies were cut off. Schools will be closed for several days, as the buildings are being repurposed as shelters and donation centers.
Rodríguez announced the government would establish a $200 million reconstruction fund to help repair damaged hospitals and homes.
The earthquake disaster adds to an already difficult situation for Rodríguez, the former vice president who assumed office in January after the U.S. captured former President Nicolás Maduro. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are currently jailed in New York City while awaiting trial on drug trafficking charges. Rodríguez took over a nation already grappling with more than a decade of economic instability. Her leadership has drawn criticism from both those who reject her political movement’s legitimacy and some loyalists who have questioned her handling of the government and her closer ties with the United States.
On Thursday, the U.S. announced it would send two specialized urban search and rescue teams to Venezuela and provide $150 million in aid through nongovernmental organizations and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The United Nations also said international rescue teams were expected to begin arriving within hours. Qatar and Mexico are among the other nations sending assistance.
Venezuelan communities in the United States have been quickly organizing donation drives. More than 770,000 Venezuelans currently live in the U.S., with large populations concentrated in Florida, Texas, and Utah.
