Key facts
- Two powerful earthquakes, magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck Venezuela.
- The earthquakes caused widespread devastation, building collapses, and evacuations.
- At least 188 people have died.
- 1,500 people have been injured.
- Thousands more are feared dead.
- Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency.
- The World Bank is in contact with Venezuela to assess support.
- International aid is being sent by the US, Iran, and Cuba.
- The disaster occurs amid political uncertainty in Venezuela.
- Nicolás Maduro has been arrested and Delcy Rodríguez is interim president.
Two powerful earthquakes, a 7.2-magnitude foreshock and a 7.5-magnitude mainshock, struck Venezuela's northern coast and capital Caracas on Wednesday, causing widespread devastation, building collapses, and evacuations. The tremors, described by residents as the strongest they have experienced, have resulted in at least 188 confirmed deaths and 1,500 injuries, with hundreds more feared dead and thousands injured, particularly in La Guaira and Caracas. The main airport has been closed due to severe damage, and hospitals are preparing for casualties. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has declared a state of emergency in response to the disaster.
International aid efforts are mobilizing, with the World Bank in contact with Venezuela to assess support. Contributions are coming from the US, Iran, Cuba, the UN, Pope Leo XIV, and World Central Kitchen. South Korea has expressed condolences, confirming no South Korean nationals were among the victims, though approximately 100 Koreans reside in the country.
The disaster strikes a nation already grappling with political uncertainty following the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and the installation of Delcy Rodríguez as interim president. This event prompts a review of Latin America's deadliest seismic events, which include the 2010 Haiti earthquake with 316,000 deaths, the 1868 Ecuador-Colombia earthquakes with 70,000 deaths, and the 1970 Peru earthquake with 66,794 fatalities.