According to the US Geological Survey, earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale struck on 24 June, causing damage to buildings in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, and leading to the closure of the country’s main airport.
La Guaira, a coastal state bordering Caracas and home to the Venezuelan capital’s main airport, was one of the worst-hit areas.
“It has become a disaster zone,” said acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who has been leading the country since Nicolás Maduro was ousted by the United States.
She added that the government is working with private companies to bring in heavy machinery and speed up rescue operations.
According to Reuters, a website set up to track people missing in Venezuela and publicised by opposition leaders lists more than 46,000 people as missing. It is not yet possible to independently verify these reports.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated yesterday that the United States is providing assistance to Venezuela. “The State Department is immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources and humanitarian aid to Venezuela,” Rubio wrote on social media platform X.
Venezuela is situated in a seismically active zone at the junction of the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates.