Overview
- The back-to-back earthquakes struck Wednesday evening and were measured by the USGS at about magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 with shallow focal depths that magnified surface shaking.
- Jenrry Mejía, a 36-year-old pitcher for La Guaira Delfines and a former New York Mets reliever, says an elevator detour took him to the lobby just before the Hotel Eduard's in La Guaira collapsed and that he helped an elderly man to safety.
- Official counts remain in flux as rescue teams work through rubble; initial government reports cited at least 235 dead and tens of thousands reported missing while authorities continue search-and-rescue and casualty assessments.
- Flights have been suspended and many survivors have lost documents and possessions, complicating evacuations and family reunifications as national and international teams deploy to the hardest-hit coastal areas.
- Seismologists call the event a rare seismic doublet and the damage is hitting communities and local baseball networks hard, with players, staff and relatives affected and urgent humanitarian needs growing.