On a Wednesday evening, Venezuela was hit by two back-to-back powerful earthquakes with magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 that struck less than 60 seconds apart, leaving at least 164 people dead and unleashing catastrophic damage across affected regions. The disaster has prompted a urgent nationwide search-and-rescue mission that has continued nonstop since the seismic event.
Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s acting president, confirmed that La Guaira, the coastal state located just north of the capital city Caracas, has suffered the most severe damage. Dozens of structures in the region have completely collapsed, leaving many residents unaccounted for. As emergency teams dug through piles of rubble overnight, cries for help from people trapped under debris could be heard across damaged neighborhoods.
Data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) notes that the second of the two quakes is the most powerful seismic event recorded in Venezuela since 1900. The organization has also issued a warning that the final death toll is likely to climb considerably as rescue teams reach more cut-off communities and clear debris from collapsed buildings.
Beyond the confirmed fatalities, the twin earthquakes have left hundreds of people injured and caused widespread destruction across multiple residential communities. In response, Venezuelan authorities have declared a formal state of emergency across all impacted zones to coordinate relief efforts and speed up the delivery of emergency supplies.
In neighboring regions, the Barbados Meteorological Services moved quickly to release an official earthquake information statement shortly after the Venezuelan tremors were detected. The agency clarified that there was no tsunami risk to the island nation, and no significant local impacts were anticipated. It added that the seismic event carried little to no potential to generate a dangerous tsunami, and encouraged local residents to keep following official updates for any changes to the situation.