Powerful twin earthquakes struck northwest Venezuela within less than a minute of each other on Wednesday evening, killing at least 164 people and injuring more than 1,000.
The massive shocks collapsed entire buildings, knocked out power, and sent terrified residents running into the streets of the capital.
Addressing the nation early Thursday, Interim President Delcy Rodriguez declared a national state of emergency, warning that the casualty toll is expected to rise significantly as emergency crews reach the hardest-hit zones.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the disaster was a rare seismic “doublet.” A magnitude 7.2 foreshock struck at 22:04 GMT, centered 21 kilometers west of the coastal town of Moron at a depth of 22 kilometers.
Just 39 seconds later, a second, more powerful mainshock measuring magnitude 7.5 erupted only 45 kilometers away at a shallower depth of 10 kilometers.
The back-to-back tremors roiled the region so severely that they were felt as far away as Bogota, Colombia, though regional agencies have ruled out any threat of a tsunami.
In Caracas, the dual shocks triggered widespread panic and catastrophic structural failures. A 22-story building completely collapsed in the capital’s upscale Altamira neighborhood, where volunteer rescue teams and residents clambered over mountains of rubble, frantically searching for survivors.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello urged citizens to remain outside their homes due to more than 20 recorded aftershocks, noting that gas supplies had been cut to several sectors as a precaution against fires.
Meanwhile, the country’s main gateway, Maiquetia International Airport, was forced to close indefinitely after sustaining severe infrastructure damage.
While the capital suffered heavy damage, President Rodriguez expressed grave concern for the coastal state of La Guaira, calling it a “true tragedy” and a “disaster zone” where dozens of structures have crumbled.
Local officials in neighbouring Falcon state reported that hospitals were already overwhelmed, with many residents still trapped under collapsed homes hours after the event.
The earthquakes rank among the most powerful to hit Venezuela in more than a century, evoking grim memories of the historic tremors of 1967 and 1997.
International aid offers began pouring in shortly after the disaster. US President, Donald Trump, expressed solidarity on his Truth Social platform, describing the twin earthquakes as “massive in scale” and promising that the United States stands ready to assist.
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, later confirmed that the administration is immediately deploying specialized search-and-rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian aid to assist Venezuelan authorities in the unfolding crisis.
