At least 164 people have died and 971 have been injured as a result of two powerful earthquakes in Venezuela that struck on the evening of 24 June, according to news agencies, including the Associated Press, CNN and Reuters, citing the country’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez.
“At least 164 people have died and 971 have been injured after two powerful earthquakes rocked Venezuela, acting President Delcy Rodríguez said on Thursday, adding that rescue teams are rushing to the worst-hit areas to free people trapped under the rubble,” the AP reported on its website on Thursday.
The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale and occurring on Wednesday evening, were among the strongest to hit Venezuela in over a century and were felt throughout the region. The country’s main airport was damaged and closed, and buildings were evacuated even in such remote areas as the Brazilian Amazon, located some 1,700 km from the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.
According to Rodríguez, the authorities are deploying rescue teams from other parts of the country to the state of La Guaira, situated on the coast north of Caracas. This state has been hardest hit.
The Acting President noted that they are trying to make the most of daylight hours to speed up efforts to rescue people who are believed to remain trapped under the rubble. “Dozens of buildings have collapsed there… And we are now carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives,” said Rodríguez.
Shortly after 6.00 pm on 24 June, Venezuela was struck by two powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, in quick succession. Numerous buildings were reported to have collapsed.