Hundreds of people in Venezuela were trapped under rubble and many more still unaccounted for on Thursday, June 25, after two powerful earthquakes wreaked havoc in and around the capital Caracas, setting off powerful aftershocks and leaving thousands homeless.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit about 160 km west of Caracas on Wednesday evening, June 24, followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 tremor, the strongest in more than a century, according to the US Geological Survey.
The disaster struck a country already grappling with years of economic turmoil that had left much of its infrastructure fragile, complicating rescue efforts and posing a crucial test for the country’s interim government, which welcomed promises of aid from across the international community.
Jorge Rodriguez, who heads Venezuela’s national assembly and is the brother of interim President Delcy Rodriguez, said on Thursday afternoon that at least 188 people had been confirmed dead and 200 were trapped.
He said at least 1,520 people had been hospitalized and 250 buildings were damaged or destroyed, leaving nearly 3,000 families homeless.
