The US announced Thursday that it would send search and rescue teams, medical equipment and humanitarian aid to Venezuela after a powerful earthquake struck the country overnight. At the same time, officials said all American staff at the US Embassy in Caracas had been accounted for and were safe.
US President Donald Trump addressed the disaster, writing that the two earthquakes had left "a devastating number of deaths." He said the US was "ready, willing, and able to help," and that he had instructed all government agencies to prepare to deliver aid quickly. "Early reports are not good," he added.
Delsy Rodríguez said rescue teams from additional countries were expected to arrive in Venezuela in the coming hours and join the rescue efforts following the earthquake. Rodríguez also thanked Trump for his support and announced that the earthquake had claimed the lives of 32 people, while around 700 others were injured.
S., a Jewish woman living in Venezuela, said: "In an instant, the whole country was shut down. We have no water, no electricity, cellular reception was down for hours, and the airport is closed. We were lucky that our building remained standing, but the damage is felt there too."
A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck overnight between Wednesday and Thursday in the Caracas area, around 40 seconds after another 7.2 magnitude quake shook the country. Footage posted on social media showed buildings damaged and partially or completely collapsed, but authorities have not yet released an official casualty toll.
According to the US Geological Survey, the epicenter was about 160 kilometers (99 miles) west of Caracas, at a depth of only around 13 kilometers (8 miles) and near an area home to some of the country's largest oil refineries.
The earthquakes struck as many Venezuelans were in their homes celebrating the national holiday marking the victory over Spain in 1821. There are concerns that the combination of the quakes' intensity, the damage to buildings and the fact that the country is also grappling with an ongoing economic and political crisis could hamper rescue efforts and lead to a high number of casualties.
