Caracas: Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela within a minute of each other on Wednesday evening, killing at least 32 people, injuring more than 700 and causing widespread destruction across several parts of the country.<\/p>\n
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the first earthquake, measuring magnitude 7.2, struck at 6:34 pm local time, followed by a stronger 7.5-magnitude tremor a minute later. The epicentres were located about 290 kilometres west of the capital, Caracas.<\/p>\n
The quakes struck on a national holiday marking the anniversary of Venezuela\u2019s 1821 victory in the war of independence against Spain. Schools and government offices were closed, and most people were at home when the earthquakes occurred.<\/p>\n
Authorities have confirmed 32 deaths so far, while more than 700 people have been injured. At least 20 aftershocks have also been recorded.<\/p>\n
The USGS has warned that the death toll could rise significantly, estimating a 44 per cent probability of more than 10,000 fatalities and a 30 per cent probability that the number of deaths could exceed 100,000, depending on the extent of structural damage and the impact in affected areas.<\/p>\n
The earthquakes caused severe damage to buildings in multiple cities, with several structures collapsing or tilting dangerously. At Caracas International Airport, part of the terminal roof collapsed, sending large clouds of dust into the air.<\/p>\n
Officials said the earthquakes were the strongest to hit Venezuela in 126 years. The previous most powerful quake, measuring 7.7 in magnitude, struck the country in 1900.<\/p>\n
Acting President Delcy Rodr\u00edguez has declared a national state of emergency as rescue and relief operations continue across the affected regions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Caracas: Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela within a minute of each other on Wednesday evening, killing at least 32 people, injuring more than 700 and causing widespread destruction across several parts of the country. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the first earthquake, measuring magnitude 7.2, struck at 6:34 pm local time, followed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":67348,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60,19],"tags":[16234,16232,16233,16231],"class_list":["post-67347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","category-latest","tag-declared","tag-dozens-killed-as","tag-nationwide-emergency","tag-powerful-earthquakes-hit-venezuela"],"yoast_head":"\n