The president of Venezuela's National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez, reported at least 188 deaths and over 1,520 injuries after two powerful earthquakes struck the capital Caracas and surrounding regions. Rescue operations are ongoing, with fears the toll could rise further.
The twin quakes, with magnitudes of 7.5 and 7.2, hit on Wednesday, with epicenters located about 160 kilometers west of Caracas, near the city of San Felipe. Aftershocks, some closer to the capital, have complicated rescue efforts.
Acting President Delcy Rodriguez declared the state of La Guaira, home to the damaged international airport, a disaster zone. Other heavily affected areas include San Felipe (pop. 200,000), the port city of Puerto Cabello (200,000), and Valencia (1.6 million), Venezuela's third-largest city.
Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast pledged humanitarian aid and rescue teams, stating, "We are managing the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid and the deployment of rescue teams to address the earthquake emergency." Chile's right-wing government had strained ties with the previous Maduro administration.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio promised a "whole-of-government" response, noting the Department of War (formerly Defense) would play a key logistical role due to airport damage. "It'll be big, it'll be fast, and it'll be effective," Rubio said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed solidarity, saying, "Germany stands with Venezuela and will provide assistance." Defense Minister Boris Pistorius offered up to six A400M transport aircraft for search and rescue missions.
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Acting President Rodriguez and announced the immediate deployment of 85 French rescuers. Spain's Defense Ministry said 54 army rescuers were ready to deploy.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said aid workers were "fully mobilized" and noted that even before the quake, 8 million Venezuelans required humanitarian support. The EU activated its Copernicus satellite system to assist.
China, India, and Pakistan also offered help. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated, "China is willing to provide what help it can in an appropriate manner according to the needs of the Venezuelan side."
The Moron Petrochemical Complex, Venezuela's second-largest, is restarting after a preventive shutdown. Workers detected a leak from a storage tank on Wednesday.
Source: www.dw.com