Earthquake Disaster

Tens of Thousands Feared Dead in Venezuela

The earthquake struck densely populated areas. There are fears that many people trapped under the rubble may not be rescued in time.(Bild: AFP/JUAN BARRETO)

According to current reports, at least 164 people have been killed and nearly 1,000 others injured in two major earthquakes in Venezuela. The hardest-hit areas along the Caribbean coast are “a disaster zone,” said President Delcy Rodríguez. Tens of thousands of deaths are feared. There are reports of over 10,000 people missing. Meanwhile, the earth continues to shake.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported the magnitudes of the first two earthquakes as 7.2 and 7.5. A model calculation by the agency suggested that a very high death toll was to be feared. The Austrian earthquake service Geosphere Austria also stated that the main quake, measuring 7.5, occurred just 39 seconds after the first event. “Within a radius of about 30 kilometers from the epicenter, there are five cities with populations exceeding 15,000, the largest of which is San Felipe, Yaracuy, Venezuela, with a population of approximately 206,000. Strong aftershocks are expected in the coming days,” according to Geosphere Austria.

Another Strong Aftershock
According to the USGS, the first quake occurred on Wednesday at 6:04 p.m. (local time; 12:04 a.m. CEST on Thursday) 24 kilometers east of San Felipe in the northwest of the country at a depth of 21.9 kilometers. The second, stronger earthquake occurred a few kilometers further north at a depth of only about ten kilometers. Because of the shallow depth, the effects of the second quake are likely to be greater. Since then, there have already been 20 aftershocks—including one with a magnitude of 7.43, according to the German Research Center for Geosciences. The strongest tremors were also felt violently in the capital, Caracas. According to President Rodríguez, dozens of buildings have collapsed there. The U.S. Geological Survey’s automated model, based on the earthquake’s magnitude and the proximity of several cities, suggested a very high probability of more than a thousand fatalities.

According to USGS data, the relatively nearby cities of Puerto Cabello and San Felipe alone are home to a combined population of just over 400,000 people. Reports of building collapses and significant damage have also emerged from those areas.

The earthquakes occurred in densely populated areas. There are fears that many people trapped under the rubble may not be rescued in time.(Bild: AFP/JUAN BARRETO)

Eyewitnesses reported tremors in the capital, Caracas, and people fled their homes in a panic. The facades of numerous buildings were severely damaged, and several buildings have collapsed. “Several walls in my building have cracked or split open,” said a woman in Valencia, west of Caracas. “As soon as the shaking stopped, my husband and I left the house.”

“My car was moving back and forth like a sheet of paper”
“I’ve never been so scared in my life—it was terrible,” said a 57-year-old woman. “Two high-rises collapsed near us, and the neighboring building is missing walls,” she added. Her high-rise, however, was largely spared. In her apartment, furniture had toppled over and pictures had fallen from the walls; everything was covered in shards of glass. After the quakes, the power was out for hours, and the cell phone network wasn’t working either. Videos of damaged buildings and destruction, including at the Caracas airport, circulated on social media. Videos showed frightened people at the airport trying to get to safety while the ground shook and clouds of dust rose (see video below).

A resident near the city of Maracay, which is about 100 kilometers from the epicenter, also described violent tremors. “I was sitting in my car, and it was swaying back and forth as if it were a sheet of paper,” he told dpa. At least two houses in the area had collapsed, including a relatively new one. “I’ve experienced earthquakes before, but never one like this,” the man added.

The country’s key oil industry infrastructure did not appear to be affected by the quakes at first. Emergency response authorities in Maracaibo, near the major oil hub on Lake Maracaibo, reported no damage. In addition, the El Palito refinery near the epicenter appeared to be undamaged. The British oil company Shell stated that all employees in the country were safe. However, according to industry insiders, a prolonged power outage could disrupt crude oil production.

Trump: “We’ll be there for our friends”
U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social about a “devastating death toll.” The initial reports are concerning. At the same time, Trump assured: “We will be there for our new and great friends.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated shortly thereafter that the government in Washington was immediately dispatching search and rescue teams as well as humanitarian and medical aid.

Images from the capital, Caracas:

Many countries plan to send aid workers and relief supplies
The tremors from the earthquake were also felt in Colombia. A tsunami warning issued for Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands has been lifted. President Rodriguez, who has led the country since the U.S.-backed ouster of President Nicolas Maduro in January, announced that she would ask multilateral organizations for financial aid for reconstruction. The U.S. Embassy in Caracas urged American citizens to seek safe shelter.

El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, also wrote on the X platform that 300 rescue workers and paramedics, as well as 50 metric tons of relief supplies, were ready to be sent to the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. The President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, stated that specialized search and rescue teams from the armed forces would depart for Venezuela early in the morning. Brazil also signaled its willingness to help. The German federal government is making A400M transport aircraft available to fly relief supplies to Venezuela.

The EU has also offered its assistance. The European Earth observation program Copernicus has been activated, “and we are ready to further strengthen our support,” said EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib on Thursday via the online platform X. EU-funded partners are already providing assistance on the ground, she added. Copernicus can quickly provide satellite imagery during natural disasters, helping rescue teams assess the situation.

6.9 Magnitude Earthquake Measured Off Japan
An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale was recorded off the east coast of the Japanese island of Honshu in the Tohoku region. It occurred at a depth of about 50 km; according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, no tsunami warning was issued. East Japan Railway announced that some trains, including the Tohoku Shinkansen, had been temporarily suspended.