Over 700 Injured, At Least 32 Killed In Tragic Venezuela Twin Earthquakes

A tragic, massive twin earthquake has killed at least 32 people and injured more than 700 in Venezuela, after tremors collapsed buildings, forced residents into the streets and led authorities to declare a state of emergency.

The quakes, measured at magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck northern Venezuela on Wednesday, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Naija News learnt that the first struck near Moron, west of Caracas, and was followed less than a minute later by the stronger tremor.

Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, announced the casualty figures early Thursday, saying authorities were still awaiting full reports from La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit areas near the capital.

“At this time, we have received reports of 32 deaths” and “more than 700 injured,” Rodriguez said.

She said at least 20 aftershocks followed the twin earthquakes, while emergency workers and residents searched through rubble for survivors.

Buildings Collapse In Caracas

The tremors triggered panic in Caracas, with residents fleeing homes, offices and shopping centres.

An AFP journalist reported that a 22-storey building was completely destroyed in the Altamira neighbourhood, where residents cried out the names of missing relatives while volunteers climbed over rubble.

“We need flashlights,” one volunteer said.

A bank employee, Odalis Escalona, described the impact of the quake, saying, “The stairs came away, the whole wall cracked. Things fell from the ceiling. It was horrible.”

The country’s main airport, Maiquetia International Airport near Caracas, was closed after suffering “serious damage” to its infrastructure.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello urged residents to leave unsafe buildings and said gas supplies had been cut to several structures to prevent further danger.

“We have some damaged structures, and we don’t want any kind of accident involving gas to occur,” he said.

Cabello listed Trujillo, Carabobo, Miranda and La Guaira among the hardest-hit states.

Shopkeeper Heidi Romero said she was on the top floor of a shopping centre when the quake struck.

“It was unbelievable, I don’t even know how long it lasted,” the 42-year-old told reporters.

“We went out through the emergency stairs; that’s how they got us out.”

Another resident, 69-year-old Carmen Guedez, said she was with her bedridden sister when the tremors intensified.

“It kept getting stronger,” she said.

“I started to see the windows begin to move and then everything shook.”

US Offers Assistance

Meanwhile, the United States President Donald Trump said Washington was ready to assist Venezuela.

“The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly,” he added.

The quake was felt as far away as Bogota, Colombia, where alarms sounded and some residents evacuated buildings.

Freddy Tovar, coordinator of Colombia’s National Seismological Network, said more than 200 tremor reports were received across the country.

“The conditions of this seismic event mean that some aftershocks may occur, which could also be widely felt across Colombian territory,” he said.

Colombia’s disaster management agency ruled out a tsunami, while the US National Tsunami Warning Centre said there was “NO tsunami, NO danger from a recent earthquake.”

Venezuela has experienced deadly earthquakes in the past, including a 1997 quake in the northeast that killed 73 people and a 1967 quake in Caracas that killed 236.

However, the latest disaster is one of the strongest to hit the country in recent history, with rescue operations ongoing and officials warning residents to stay away from damaged buildings.