Key facts
- Powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela, causing damage in Caracas.
- Tsunami alerts were issued for the Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic.
- Interim President Delcy Rodriguez declared a state of emergency.
- Simon Bolivar Airport near Caracas was closed due to damage.
- No death toll or number of injured was immediately provided.
Multiple powerful earthquakes have struck Venezuela, causing significant damage in the capital city of Caracas and prompting tsunami alerts for surrounding regions. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez declared a state of emergency following the quakes and nearly two dozen aftershocks. Buildings collapsed in Caracas and elsewhere, and Simon Bolivar Airport near the capital was closed due to damage. Rodriguez extended condolences to families of those killed but provided no death toll or number of injured. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello had previously reported that the quakes led to collapsed homes and buildings in Caracas and urged residents to exercise caution due to aftershocks. A Caracas resident, Roberto Gamas, described the experience as intense. The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami alert for the Virgin Islands, and authorities in the Dominican Republic issued a similar alert. An alert for Puerto Rico was quickly rescinded. Strong earthquakes are unusual in Venezuela, which is less seismically active than regions like the Pacific Ring of Fire.