Two major earthquakes hit northern Venezuela on Wednesday afternoon, with officials still trying to determine the full extent of the disaster.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that the death toll will most likely range from 10,000 to 100,000. "High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread", the USGS said. Authorities have not yet released an official national death toll.
A magnitude 7.2 quake first hit about 160 km west of Caracas. Less than a minute later, a stronger 7.5-magnitude tremor followed. Both ranked among the most powerful earthquakes recorded worldwide this year.
Local Deaths Confirmed
Three people were killed in the Baruta district of Caracas after two buildings collapsed, the district mayor said on social media. One person was killed in Chacao, where four buildings had completely collapsed, Mayor Gustavo Duque told journalists. Twenty-two people were taken to hospital.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said that several buildings, homes and houses had collapsed and that authorities were responding with all available security and civil protection resources.
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez said she would declare a state of emergency in the South American nation and request funds from multilateral organizations to back the recovery effort.
"We extend our condolences to those who have unfortunately suffered the loss of a family member", she said in a national address, without giving a national count for deaths or injuries.
The quakes struck during a national holiday commemorating Venezuela’s victory in its war of independence from Spain. Many residents were therefore at home.
US Offers Help
US President Donald Trump said the US was ready, willing and able to help in the disaster.
"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 said.
International leaders including El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, Dominican Republic’s Luis Abinader and Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva offered support and sympathy, while the US State Department said it was in touch with Venezuelan authorities and mobilizing assistance.
Rodríguez, who has been running the country since the US ouster of President Nicolás Maduro in January, said she had instructed the foreign ministry to coordinate the offers of aid.
Hospitals Call in Staff, Airport Closed
Firefighters were deployed across Caracas after the tremors, with several buildings suffering serious facade damage.
At Caracas’ Hospital de Clínicas, staff were asked to double up on the night shift to help treat the injured, a worker there said.
Authorities also closed Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía because of infrastructure damage and canceled classes at all schools until the end of the week.
Oil Facilities Mostly Spared
Venezuela’s oil infrastructure did not immediately appear to have been affected by the tremors, since almost none of the cities with official reports of severe damage are home to critical energy facilities. Civil protection authorities in Maracaibo, near the major oil hub of Lake Maracaibo, said no injuries had been reported.
Many energy companies operating in Venezuela were first checking on their staff before making initial assessments of oilfields, plants and refineries. UK oil firm Shell, which is evaluating developing gas fields in Venezuela, said all its employees in the country had been accounted for and that no injuries had been reported.
One source noted that an extended loss of power could hit crude output until service is restored. Venezuela’s oil ministry, state-run oil company PDVSA and its main foreign partner, Chevron, did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
Tsunami Warning Lifted
A tsunami warning was issued following the quakes but swiftly canceled once the threat had passed.
Venezuela lies on the boundary between the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates, making it a seismically active region. One of the most devastating earthquakes in the country’s history struck in 1812 and is estimated to have killed about 30,000 people.
(Reuters, EST)