Two Major Quakes Strike Venezuela, Triggering Widespread Damage and Fears of Mass Casualties

Two powerful earthquakes hit Venezuela overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, causing extensive destruction and dozens of building collapses. U.S. officials said the death toll could reach into the tens of thousands, and the U.S. Geological Survey estimated there was a high probability of between 10,000 and 100,000 fatalities, along with severe infrastructure damage across the country.

The first quake measured 7.1 in magnitude, and about 40 seconds later a second, stronger tremor struck at 7.5. The epicenter was off Venezuela’s northern coast, but the shaking was felt as far away as Caracas, where some buildings were reported to have collapsed completely, others were heavily damaged, and dust clouds covered entire neighborhoods.

In response to the destruction, the international airport in Maiquetía was closed and authorities began evacuating residents from affected areas. Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, said the government would declare a state of emergency because of the scale of the disaster. The mayor of Chacao confirmed that there were dead, but no official casualty figure was released.

The USGS warned that this was a potentially highly lethal event and said the full scope of the damage and losses would only become clear in the coming hours and days. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Washington was in contact with Venezuelan authorities and working to mobilize aid. President Donald Trump also said there were a “devastating number of deaths” in Venezuela and that the United States was ready to help with the earthquake damage.