CARACAS, Venzuelae – Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday, June 24, killing at least 32 people and injuring 700 more as buildings collapsed in and around the capital Caracas, interim President Delcy Rodriguez said.
A magnitude 7.2earthquake hit about 160 km (100 miles) west of Caracas, followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 tremor, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The USGS, using predictive modeling to estimate the death toll, said it would most likely run into the thousands, with a substantial probability of exceeding 10,000.
Rodriguez said initial figures do not include casualties from La Guaira state, near Caracas and home to the city’s airport, which is the worst affected.
“Dozens of buildings have collapsed, and we are currently carrying out very intense rescue efforts to save as many lives as God allows us to save,” she said in an appearance on state television just before 1 am local time (0500 GMT) on Thursday, June 25.
