Powerful twin earthquakes have struck Venezuela, killing at least 32 people and injuring more than 700 others, according to the country’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez.
The tremors, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, hit the same region on Wednesday, triggering widespread destruction, collapsing buildings, and forcing the closure of the country’s main airport.
Rodríguez said emergency teams were still assessing the full scale of damage, noting that the hardest-hit areas include La Guaira, near the capital Caracas. She also confirmed that at least 20 aftershocks had followed the initial quakes.
Rescue operations are ongoing as authorities and residents continue to search through rubble for survivors. Entire buildings, including a 22-storey structure in the Altamira district of Caracas, were reduced to debris, while terrified residents fled into the streets.
Witnesses described scenes of panic as walls cracked, ceilings collapsed, and people scrambled for safety. “It was horrible,” said one resident, while others reported being trapped inside buildings during the shaking.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquakes struck within seconds of each other, describing the second, stronger quake as a “mainshock” that followed a 7.2-magnitude foreshock.
Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello urged residents to evacuate damaged buildings as a precaution, warning of potential gas-related hazards in affected areas. Authorities also shut down gas supplies to several buildings.
Maiquetía International Airport near Caracas was closed due to serious structural damage, according to officials.
The impact was felt beyond Venezuela, with tremors reported in parts of Colombia, including Bogotá, where buildings were evacuated. Colombian authorities recorded more than 200 reports of shaking, though no tsunami warning was issued.
Officials say emergency response efforts are continuing as the country braces for possible additional aftershocks and further damage assessments.
