Venezuela grapples with deadly twin quakes, over 700 injured so far

At least 32 people have been killed and more than 700 injured after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela, collapsing buildings, shutting the country’s main airport and sending residents fleeing into the streets, authorities say.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency late on Wednesday after quakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 hit within a minute of each other near the coastal town of Morón, about 170km west of Caracas. She warned early on Thursday that the death toll was expected to rise as rescuers search collapsed structures and reach remote areas.

“The state of La Guaira is facing a true tragedy and has become a disaster zone,” Rodríguez said, adding that dozens of buildings had collapsed. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello urged people to stay out of damaged homes amid dozens of aftershocks and said gas supplies had been cut to some buildings to prevent fires.

Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas was closed due to “serious damage” and metro services in the capital were suspended. Parts of Caracas lost power and phone coverage as residents gathered outdoors overnight, many too afraid to return home.

“It started off gently and then gradually grew, and in the end, we all had to leave our houses,” said Caracas resident Hector Ricci.

The tremors were felt as far away as Colombia and Brazil’s Amazon region. The United States and several Latin American governments, including Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador and Bolivia, have offered search-and-rescue and humanitarian assistance.

The twin quakes are among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century, in a country where major seismic events are relatively rare compared with other parts of Latin America.