Overview
- Two very large, shallow earthquakes with reported magnitudes between about 7.1 and 7.5 struck Venezuela late Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey placed an epicenter in Montalbán, Carabobo, at roughly 13 km depth.
- Interim president Delcy Rodríguez gave a preliminary toll of 32 dead and over 700 injured and declared a national state of emergency as authorities mobilize search-and-rescue teams.
- The quakes caused widespread structural damage and reports of hundreds of building collapses in Caracas and western coastal areas, with the Simón Bolívar (Maiquetía) international airport sustaining significant damage and flights suspended for inspections.
- Officials reported about 20 aftershocks and a regional tsunami alert that U.S. centers later cancelled, and the tremors were felt in neighboring countries including Colombia and parts of Brazil and Puerto Rico.
- Venezuela’s location on the Caribbean–South American plate boundary and the quakes’ shallow depth raise risks for further damage in areas with older or non-seismic construction, and authorities warn casualty and damage figures may rise as communications and assessments improve.