CARACAS, VENEZUELA: The death toll from the devastating twin earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela has risen sharply to 589, with at least 2,980 others injured, acting president Delcy Rodríguez announced early Friday. The back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes, which hit Wednesday evening, are among the strongest recorded in the country in more than a century.
Flanked by government and military officials, Rodríguez welcomed international rescue teams arriving in the capital to aid local efforts. “We are going to rescue the people who are trapped,” she stated. “We are working tirelessly on this task.”
Devastation in La Guaira
The coastal state of La Guaira, located just north of Caracas, has borne the brunt of the destruction. The territory has been militarized to streamline searching through the rubble, locating survivors, and maintaining order during the distribution of food and water. Compounding the crisis, the country’s primary international airport, situated in La Guaira, suffered severe damage and remains closed, severely complicating incoming international logistics and aid delivery.
Across northern cities, neighborhoods have been reduced to skeletal concrete ruins. Emergency operations are a race against time, with thousands still reported missing. Health Minister Carlos Alvarado warned state media that casualties are expected to climb further as frantic search operations continue.
Millions Displaced and Terrified
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that up to 6.76 million people across Venezuela could be directly affected by the disaster, including nearly two million residents in Caracas alone. In the capital, hundreds of families spent consecutive nights huddled in parks, parking lots, and open squares, terrified of structural collapses caused by lingering aftershocks.
While tragic stories emerged—such as a mother collapsing in grief as the bodies of her two young children were pulled from a collapsed home—miracles have also surfaced. In La Guaira, a young girl was successfully pulled alive from a 10-story apartment complex that had flattened “like a pancake,” a rescue that metropolitan team leaders highlighted as a symbol of the nation’s determination to survive.
