Key facts
- Over 900 people have been killed and 3,360 injured in Venezuela by two earthquakes.
- The second quake registered a magnitude of 7.5.
- Dozens of buildings in the country's north, including in Caracas, were destroyed.
- La Guaira region, north of the capital, was the hardest hit.
- International rescue teams and aid are arriving to assist with the disaster.
- Venezuela's already strained infrastructure has been severely impacted.
Two powerful earthquakes, with the second measuring a magnitude of 7.5, struck Venezuela on Wednesday, causing widespread destruction and a significant loss of life. The government has reported that over 900 people have died and more than 3,300 have been injured, with hundreds still feared trapped under rubble. The hardest-hit region is La Guaira, north of the capital Caracas, where numerous buildings, including shopping centers and hospitals, collapsed. Surviving medical facilities are overwhelmed, struggling with pre-existing shortages of supplies and medicines. International rescue teams from countries including the UK, US, Netherlands, Mexico, and Switzerland have arrived or are en route, with the US also providing substantial financial aid and military assets. The disaster exacerbates Venezuela's existing crisis of crumbling infrastructure, a result of decades of underinvestment and economic hardship.