Powerful earthquakes hit Venezuela, killing 32 and flattening buildings

Two powerful earthquakes ripped through Venezuela on Wednesday evening, flattening buildings in Caracas and leaving rescue workers hearing voices calling from the rubble as the death toll rose to at least 32 and injuries reached about 700. The collapse spread fear across the capital and forced officials to confront a fast-moving disaster with aftershocks still shaking already-damaged neighborhoods.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the first quake measured magnitude 7.2 and the second 7.5, with the epicentre about 160 kilometers, or 100 miles, west of Caracas. The two tremors struck about 39 to 60 seconds apart, giving little time for people to react before buildings began to fail. The quakes were felt in Colombia and were followed by at least 20 aftershocks, adding to the danger for residents and rescue teams working through unstable debris.

Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s acting president, said the country’s main airport at Maiquetía was closed and classes were cancelled after the quakes damaged several states. A state of emergency was declared as the scale of the destruction became clearer, but authorities said the toll could still rise because assessments had not been completed in some of the hardest-hit areas, especially in La Guaira state near Caracas. The gap between the official count and the damaged ground around the capital underscored how much remained inaccessible as crews searched for survivors.

The U.S. Geological Survey warned early that high casualties and extensive damage were probable, and its modeling suggested deaths could run into the thousands and even exceed 10,000. That projection reflected the vulnerability exposed by the collapse of buildings in the capital, where the state’s emergency response, warning systems and construction standards were immediately tested by the speed and force of the shaking. The closures, the emergency declaration and the deployment of rescue teams showed authorities moving quickly, but the calls from the rubble showed how little margin there was when the second quake hit.

The disaster revived memories of the 1967 Caracas earthquake, which killed about 225 to 300 people and injured more than 1,500. With search crews still working through damaged neighborhoods and more aftershocks expected to keep rattling the region, Venezuela faced not only a mass-casualty emergency but a test of whether its infrastructure could protect people when seconds mattered most.