Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez said the death toll could rise as search and rescue efforts continue for those buried under the rubble.
We use Google Cloud Translation Services. Google requires we provide the following disclaimer relating to use of this service:
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, expressed or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement.
Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, killing at least 32 people and injuring more than 700. Two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude struck shortly after 6 p.m.
Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez said the death toll could rise as the search and rescue effort continued.
President Rodriguez declared a state of emergency in an address to the nation on Wednesday night. She reported damage in several states. The casualty figures released Thursday morning did not include the state of La Guaira. Delcy said the state was the worst-hit area.
"Dozens of buildings have collapsed about 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of Caracas and we are currently carrying out rapid rescue operations to save lives," she said. It was the most powerful earthquake to hit Venezuela in more than a century. The tremors were felt from Caracas to the Brazilian Amazon, about 1,700 kilometers away. People were displaced in several places.
Venezuela's state television channel VTV aired footage of three children being rescued alive from the rubble of a collapsed building in the La Guaira region on Thursday morning.
President Rodriguez said the quake had damaged the country's main airport, Simón Bolívar International Airport. As a result, the airport's services had been suspended. Schools were closed and public transport and natural gas services in Caracas were also disrupted, Rodriguez said.
She also urged Venezuelans to use a government app to report damage.
Two major earthquakes struck Venezuela in quick succession, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The first quake, measuring 7.2 in magnitude, was centered west of Morón, a Caribbean island about 168 kilometers west of Caracas. It was measured at a depth of 22 kilometers.
A minute later, a second quake measuring 7.5 in magnitude struck. The second quake was centered 16 kilometers southwest of Morón. It was only 10 kilometers deep. The quake injured 32 people in the coastal state of Falcon, according to state governor Victor Clark.
