Venezuela declares emergency after major earthquakes hit near Caracas

Two powerful earthquakes struck northern Venezuela less than a minute apart, collapsing buildings in Caracas, closing the country’s main international airport and sending rescuers racing through rubble in search of survivors.

Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, declared a state of emergency after the back-to-back quakes hit around 18:04 local time, saying transport services had been paused and urging the population to remain calm. The U.S. Geological Survey said a magnitude 7.2 quake was followed 39 seconds later by a stronger magnitude 7.5 earthquake in the same area.

The death toll remained uncertain in early reports. The BBC reported that Rodríguez said at least 32 people had died and 700 others were injured. Al Jazeera reported earlier that at least three people had been killed. Emergency crews were still searching for people believed to be trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

The epicenters were outside Caracas but close enough to shake the capital violently. NPR, citing the USGS, reported that the epicenters were near the town of Morón on Venezuela’s Caribbean coast, about 100 miles west of Caracas, and roughly three miles apart. The BBC said the first quake struck in Yaracuy state at a depth of 22km, followed by the second at about 10km.

“When the earthquakes are this close together” in time, USGS seismologist Paul Earle told NPR, “it can be difficult to unravel the exact magnitudes and the exact locations, especially for the second event,” because the signals on seismograms can overlap.

Photos and videos showed debris across streets, damaged buildings and people running for safety. Some footage captured voices calling for help as rescuers dug through rubble. In Chacao, part of the greater Caracas metropolitan area, Mayor Gustavo Duque Saez said at least two buildings had completely collapsed. He said 18 people had been rescued alive and more than 500 emergency workers were trying to reach more residents.

Rodríguez said Simón Bolívar International Airport, also known as Maiquetía airport, was closed because of earthquake damage. Metro and train services were paused nationwide, and classes were suspended for the rest of the week. The interior ministry urged people to leave their homes because of concerns over building stability and possible damage to gas lines. Fuel supplies into the city were cut off, and internet blackouts were reported, according to the BBC.

The quakes hit while Venezuela was marking a national holiday commemorating the 1821 Battle of Carabobo, a key victory by independence leader Simón Bolívar against Spanish colonial forces. Tremors were felt as far away as Bogotá, Colombia, more than 1,000km away, and more than 20 aftershocks have since been recorded across Venezuela, particularly along the northern coast.

The USGS described the twin events as a “doublet.” NPR reported that the 7.5-magnitude quake was the largest to strike Venezuela since 1900, when a magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit the country. Earle said USGS modeling estimated deaths could reach the thousands to tens of thousands and economic losses could run into the billions or tens of billions of dollars. The BBC reported separate USGS modeling that showed a 36% chance the death toll could reach up to 10,000 and a 40% chance it could reach as many as 100,000.

Tsunami advisories were initially issued for parts of the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, but were later canceled. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said there was no longer a tsunami threat from the quakes.

Foreign governments offered help. U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington was “ready, willing and able” to assist and had told government agencies to “move quickly.” El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele said 50 tonnes of equipment and supplies and 300 rescuers were ready to depart for Caracas. Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa Azin said aid would be sent immediately, and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said his government would assess assistance for its “sister nation.”