Live updates: Venezuela twin earthquakes, death toll and damage reported, no tsunami threat posed
The powerful twin earthquakes have hit Venezuela’s northern coast hard, killing at least 32 people and collapsing dozens of buildings, according to the country’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez.
The full extent of the casualties and damage may not be clear for many hours, but reports and videos show extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure across the country as residents face a terrifying night in the streets.
Here’s what we’re seeing and hearing:
La Guaira: The coastal state in northern Venezuela suffered the worst damage and has been declared a disaster zone, Rodríguez said. The situation in the state is a “true tragedy” and dozens of buildings have collapsed, she said. Among them, a large waterfront hotel in the city of Macuto, which has been reduced to rubble. In the town of Catia La Mar, videos show several collapsed buildings and badly damaged high-rises.
International Airport: La Guaira is home to the Simon Bolivar International Airport, which serves the capital Caracas. The airport has been closed due to “severe damage to its infrastructure,” Rodríguez said. Video showed people running and several areas inside the airport covered in rubble and dust, with damaged ceilings.
Eyewitness captures moment of quake in Venezuela airport
Caracas: Three people were killed in the Baruta municipality after two buildings collapsed, the district mayor said. Nicolás Maduro Guerra, son of the ousted president, told CNN there are reports that four buildings had collapsed in the capital — two in San Bernardino, one in Pinto Salinas and one in El Paraiso. The San Bernardino neighborhood in north Caracas was badly hit, with video showing rescue teams pulling survivors out of rubble, and residents describing harrowing escapes from damaged buildings.
Chacao municipality: Residents in Chacao, in east Caracas, described intense and terrifying shaking. One resident of Los Palos Grandes district told CNN there were at least two buildings that collapsed in his neighborhood and many others were damaged. Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said buildings had also collapsed in the municipality’s Altamira neighborhood. The local mayor said more than 500 emergency workers were trying to rescue people from collapsed and damaged buildings in Chacao. At least two buildings collapsed completely, and many more have suffered structural damage, he added. Gas has been shut off and many areas are without power, according to the mayor.
The northwestern states of Aragua, Carabobo and Falcón have also been affected, with some areas reporting power failures, Rodríguez said.