Twin Major Quakes 39 Seconds Apart Hit Venezuela, Leaving 32 Dead and 700 Injured

[Financial News] A series of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that struck Venezuela has killed at least 32 people and injured more than 700 so far. As rescue operations continue, the death toll is expected to rise further. The United States has decided to send an emergency rescue team, while countries in Latin America have also rushed military and relief personnel to help.
On the 24th local time, Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez said on state-run Venezolana de Televisión that "32 deaths have been confirmed so far, and the number of injured admitted to emergency rooms at public and private hospitals has exceeded 700." She declared La Guaira State, the hardest-hit area, a disaster zone and said, "Dozens of buildings have collapsed. The death toll is likely to rise further as rescue teams search through the debris."
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck near Moron on Venezuela's northern Caribbean coast at 6:04 p.m. that day, followed just 39 seconds later by a magnitude 7.5 quake about 45 kilometers southwest of the first epicenter. The epicenter was about 160 kilometers west of Caracas, and the quakes were analyzed as having depths of 21.9 kilometers and 10 kilometers, respectively.
A magnitude 7.5 quake is the strongest to hit Venezuela since modern seismic monitoring began, and the most powerful since the magnitude 7.7 earthquake in 1900. Venezuela lies along the boundary where the Caribbean Plate and the South American Plate meet, making it a country prone to frequent earthquakes. A massive quake in 1812 in the Caracas and Merida areas is said to have killed about 30,000 people.
In Caracas, buildings shook violently and residents ran into the streets. Some building exteriors cracked, and windows shattered. Power outages and disruptions to internet and mobile phone service followed. Videos shot by witnesses showed rescue workers climbing over the ruins of collapsed buildings in search of survivors, as well as residents sobbing and pleading for help finding their families.
Venezuelan authorities declared a national emergency and are carrying out rescue operations by mobilizing all available personnel, including firefighters, police and military forces. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said, "We have deployed every resource available for public security and civilian support," adding, "Damage has been confirmed in several states." Operations at Simón Bolívar International Airport outside Caracas were also suspended.


The USGS estimated a 40% chance that the quake could leave 10,000 to 100,000 people dead, and a 14% chance that the death toll could exceed 100,000. It projected economic losses could amount to 1% to 5% of GDP.
The international community has also moved to provide emergency assistance. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that "the United States is ready and willing to help, and I have directed all government agencies to respond quickly," adding that "the initial reports are very bad." The State Department activated a disaster response task force to urgently deploy search and rescue teams, medical personnel and humanitarian aid supplies.
El Salvador has prepared to send a 300-member rescue team, and the Dominican Republic has decided to dispatch military personnel specialized in search and rescue. Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia also issued solidarity statements one after another and announced plans to provide rescue personnel and relief supplies.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is being held in a U.S. correctional facility, also appealed for unity on Telegram, saying, "Venezuela has overcome countless trials, and we will overcome this one as well through faith, discipline and solidarity," and "No one should be left alone. Let us care for children, the elderly and sick neighbors together."
Meanwhile, on the same day as the major quake in Venezuela, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck northern Honshu in Japan, while northern California was hit by a magnitude 5.6 quake, the strongest since 1940. All of them occurred in areas near the Pacific Ring of Fire, drawing attention to the continued seismic activity along the Pacific Rim.

km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter